A New Selection
by ReadLikeYouMeanIt
Summary: Princess April is going to have her own Selection. But what will she do with her love for Prince Christopher of Swendway?
1. Chapter 1

***Disclaimer: I do not own any of _The Selection_ characters or story.**

Chapter 1: I run down the hallway towards Mom and Dad's room. A maid was sent to tell me that they want to give me something. I'm not surprised. It's my nineteenth birthday, after all. I pass a few guards on the way who call out

"Happy Birthday" as I run past them. When I reach the door, I tentatively knock.

"Come in." Mom answers. I open the door to find my parents standing there between my younger siblings: Crystal and Nathan.

"Happy Birthday, April!" The exclaim when I enter.

"Thanks, but it's really not a big deal." I say.

"Of course it is!" Mom exclaims.

"Sweetheart, you're now seen as an adult in Illèa!" Dad says.

"And, this year you'll have your own selection!" Crystal exclaims.

Crystal is a bit boy crazy. It's appropriate. I mean, she's fourteen. Nathan is sixteen. We have an older brother, Lance, but he married a four last year and gave the throne up to me. He is living in the palace, but he isn't going to be King. Mom and Dad decided that it would be best for me to have a Selection instead of an arranged marriage. I get what they're saying, but is a Selection really the best solution?

"Now as you know," Mom says as she gestures for Crystal and Nathan to leave. "The Selection will be a bit different this time."

"The Selection Ball will be in a week." Dad says.

"We've chosen fifty young men we think will be great candidates for you." "You will meet them all."

"By the end of the night, you will have to eliminate at least forty of them."

"After that, the process will be similar to my selection."

"Mom, Dad, I got it." I say. "I can handle a few twenty-year-olds."

"What about the ones that are nineteen, twenty-one, twenty-two, and twenty-three?" Dad mocks. I smile a little at that. I didn't notice how tense I was until now.

"Is this really necessary?" I ask.

"What do mean, Sweetheart?" Dad asks.

"The whole selection thing?"

"We thought you might be better off this way." Mom says.

"But what about Illèa's tradition of the arranged marriage for the girls?" I ask.

"Don't you want to have more freedom than that?" Dad asks. He seems shocked since I'm usually a little more independent.

"I know, but I feel like the whole thing is too much of a big deal." I say.

"That's how I felt," Dad says.

"But that's how I met your mother." He pulls Mom in for a kiss.

"Ewww!" I say in a faux disgusted voice.

"April," Mom says after she pulls away from Dad.

"I have total faith in you that you'll find the man that's right for you." She walks over to me and embraces me.

"Alright. I trust you too." I say, conceding defeat.

I usually wouldn't mind this much freedom, but the problem is... I'm in love with someone else: Prince Christopher of Swendway. I thought Mom and Dad were going to marry me to him anyway! When they told me that I was going to have my own Selection, my heart sunk. The worst part is, Christopher is going to have to marry Princess Juliette of France. That ancient book, Romeo and Juliette, doesn't apply here. My Romeo doesn't want to be with Juliette.

"Honey, why don't you go prepare for the party tonight?" Mom asks.

"Okay. I'll see you tonight." I say giving a small wave before walking away.

"We love you!" Dad calls.

"Love you too!" I call without turning around.

"We're proud of you!" Mom shouts.

"I know." I half-call half-mumble. Mom and Dad are always sure to tell me how great I am. I don't know why. I don't have self-esteem issues...At least I don't think I do.

* * *

"Good afternoon, your highness." My maid, Elle, greets me.

"Good evening, Elle." I say as I walk in.

"So," I sit down on my bed. "What outfit have you created for me?" I ask.

"I think you'll like it, Miss." Elle says.

"Well, I know I'll like it. You created it! I just want to know what it is."

"I'll have it out in just a moment." She goes out of the room for a few minutes and comes back with a black clothing bag and a medium-size bag.

"Ooh! Is it a puppy?" I joke.

Elle giggles. "I'm afraid not, Miss." She sets the bag down on the bed and unzips it. I gasp when she reveals the dress. It's a floor-length, silky, alternating light blue and white gown. It has tiny sparkles on it that shimmer in the light. She then opens the box to reveal a pair of silver heels.

"Oh Elle, I love it!" I hug her.

Elle really is my closest friend at the palace besides my siblings. The only problem is, she keeps calling my Miss and your Highness.

"Well, I can't take all the credit. Tara and Paige helped a great deal too." She says being modest, as always.

"Speaking of which, where are they?" I look around the room.

"Your mother is having then prepare for the party tonight. She thought they might be a good choice since they know you so well."

"Well, you do too. So why are you here?" I joke.

"To help you look beautiful for your nineteenth birthday party!" She exclaims. "Speaking of which, we should get started."

Elle helps me shower, she does my nails, adds extensions to make my hair look thicker, curls my hair, does my makeup in a natural—yet stunning—way, and finally, helps me put my dress on.

"Oh Elle," I say as I look in the mirror. "I love it! Thank you so much!" I turn around and hug her.

"Your welcome, Miss." She says. "Now let's get your shoes on. The party will begin in about twenty minutes. Your mother and father want to see you in five minutes."

"Alright." I say.

As Elle helps me on with my shoes, I can't help but ask, "Do you know who's coming to the party?"

"Yes. Many royal families. France, Italy, The German Federation, Swendway—"

"Swendway?" I cut her off.

"Yes, Miss. Swendway's King, Queen, Princess, and Prince were all invited to come."

"Oh, good." I say, trying not to be obvious.

* * *

I head down to my mother and father's office. I knock on the door. To my surprise, father opens it himself. "Hello, Sweetheart." He says.

"Hi Dad." I say as I walk in. After he shuts the door, he embraces me.

"Oh!" I say a little surprised that he's showing this much affection. I don't think he's hugged me since I was fourteen when I broke my ankle.

"What, is something wrong?" He asks, suddenly panicked, I might add.

"No, I'm just a little surprised that you hugged me, that's all." I reply. "Where's Mom?" I change the subject to make things less awkward.

"She's getting your birthday present ready." He responds. It's going to be a bracelet. I think to myself. Mom and Dad always get my some sort of jewelry item. Last year it was a silver locket that I'm wearing right now, so this year...

"Ah! Here she is!" Dad says as Mom walks in in her blue gown. Blue's a nice color for her. It matches her fiery hair.

"Good evening, April." She says.

"Hi Mom." I say sweetly.

"Happy birthday." She says as she hand me a small box. I open it and find "A bracelet!" I say, faking excitement. I don't go too big with the celebration so Mom and Dad don't catch on.

"Thank you both." I say.

"May I help you put it on?" Dad asks.

"Sure, that would be lovely." I respond. It's a blue and silver bracelet with a charm that says A on it.

"Thanks Dad." I say after he puts it on.

"Your welcome. Happy birthday." He says.

"Now, be sure you have fun tonight. This is your birthday party, after all." Mom says.

"But remember, this is going to be shown on the report, so act properly." Dad says.

"Be confident."

"Be polite."

"Be friendly."

"Stand tall."

"And most importantly, be yourself."

"Okay. Anything else you want me to be?" I ask a little irritated.

"Sorry, it's just... We love you so much, and it feels like we're losing you." Mom says sadly.

I grab her hand."Mom, you're not losing me. I'm just growing up." I shrug.

"I know," Mom dabs her eyes.

"I should just accept that." She smiles.

"Come on, let's go to the party." Dad says. He takes Mom's arm and I follow them to the ballroom.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"And now announcing King Maxon and Queen America Schreave and their daughter, Princess April Schreave!" The guard announces.

The crowd claps as we walk in. I hate all of this attention. I'm fine with the report, but small audiences like this are terrifying. I can see all of them staring at me.

"Princess April!" I hear all around me. I wave in the general direction of people.

"Welcome, everyone!" Dad announces to the crowd.

"We're so glad for you to join us in celebrating our daughter's nineteenth birthday!" Mom says. More cheers from the crowd.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have an interview before the party." Mom says.

I'm led over to and interview area. I sit down next to Gavril Fadaye. A maid touches up my makeup a bit and a few other maids position my dress to make it more proper.

"So April," Gavril asks. "Are you exited for the Selection?"

"Gavril, I thought the questions were supposed to start during the interview." I say, a little teasingly.

"Note: you didn't answer my question." He points a finger at me.

I sigh. "Between you and me, not really. But, it'll probably be good in the long run."

I don't trust reporters. Especially Gavril, who knows everything about everyone. He was the one who announced to all of Illèa that Grandfather whipped Dad when he was a child. That's how Grandfather was finally overthrown and Dad succeeded him. That's why I didn't tell him about Prince Christopher.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Gavril says suspiciously.

"Yes, my parents have really outdone themselves." I say.

The makeup ladies get their stuff and walk away.

"Gavril," the producer says. "You're on in five…four…three…two…" he mouths the word one and then points to Gavril.

"Good evening, Illèa!" He announces. The crowd cheers. "Tonight we have a special guest: Princess April of Illèa!" More cheers.

"Good evening, Gavril. I'm glad to be here." I say politely.

"Well, we're glad to have you here! So tell me, April, are you exited about the new form of the Selection your parents have made for you?"

I catch my mother' see before I answer. She nods encouragingly.

"Yes, I think that my mother and father have outdone themselves in finding me a husband." I reply.

"Have you seen any of the applicants' profiles" he asks.

"Not yet, but I'm sure I will fall in love with at least one of them."

"And what makes you say that?"

"I trust my parents. They know me better than anyone."

I can see what Gavril's doing. He's trying to throw me off, but it's not going to work. I know what I'm doing and he's not going to mess me up.

"Is there anything else you would like to say to the men entering the Selection?" Gavril asks.

I look at the camera and say, "Be yourself. I don't want to be with a man who is afraid to be himself."

"Queen America and King Maxon?" Gavril asks.

The cameras point to my parents. Mom jumps in and says, "I agree with April, you should be yourself. Everyone else's already taken."

"Wise words from our royalty. Thank you Your Majesty." Gavril says.

After the interview is over, I go around the room talking to the other royalty. The Italians are always fun. Princess Isabella and I talk for a while. She's the only person I've told about Christopher outside of my family (I've only really told my siblings). I talk to her for a while privately, then move on to France. Prince Kyle has always had a thing for me, but it don't really like him. He walks up to me and says, "Hey."

"Hello." I say back.

"So, it's a shame that your parents let you have a Selection." He leans up against the wall in a sleazy way.

"Why do you say that?" I ask.

"Now there's no chance for you and I to become a couple."

"What?"

"Oh come on, I can see it in your eyes. You want us to be a couple."

"Kyle, I think you're confusing my feelings with yours."

"April, I don't think you understand what you're working with. Everyone loves me. There are plenty of other princesses who would die to be my wife."

"Yeah, well I'm not one of them." I start to walk away, but he grabs my hand and pulls my body to his.

"Let's dance." He says. We begin to waltz around the room.

"Kyle, this really isn't appropriate." I say.

"Nonsense," He dips me down so I'm almost touching the floor. "Let this be my birthday present to you."

"Oh geez." I mutter as I roll my eye. He lifts me back up. His hand, which used to be on my shoulder, is now creeping down my back and almost touching my—

"Nope!" I say a I pull his hand back up to my shoulder.

"Oh come on, April. You know you want to." He leans in for a kiss. I try to pull away, but he's stronger than me and pulls me in. His lips are about to touch mine when I hear a voice say, "May I cut in?" It's Christopher, thank god.

"Of course." Kyle says, disappointed.

I curtsy shortly to Kyle, then take Christopher's hand.

"Thanks," I say, putting my arms around his neck. "That was a close one."

"No kidding," He says. "I would have gotten here earlier, but Princess Daniella of the German Federation insisted that I dance with her."

"She's German, what did you expect?" I joke. Christopher smiles back at me.

"Here, come on." Christopher takes my hand and leads me out of the room.

"Chris?" I ask.

"Come on." He urges. We break into a run and he heads to the gardens.

"Chris! I can't keep up, I'm in heels!" I giggle as I say this.

"Just a little further!"

We pass a few guards who don't seem like they want to stop us or anything. They just keep doing what they're doing.

Once we reach the gardens, we reach the gazebo and Chris finally stops.

"Why did you bring me here?" I ask with a smile on my face.

"Here." Christopher hands me a small box.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Open it and find out!" He says. I open the box to find a tiny heart-shaped picture of he and I at my birthday party last year. We are sitting on bench together, smiling and laughing. We look like we're in love (we are, after all).

"I thought you could put this in your locket that your parents gave you last year." He suggests.

"Oh Chris," I'm speechless. "I—I love it!" I finally find the right words.

"Happy Birthday, April." He says. I lean over to hug him. Once we let go, we stare at each other for a while. Then he leans in a little closer. His lips finally meet mine. My heart is racing. This is my first kiss. Everything feels perfect for a moment, until I hear a guard clear his throat behind me. I jump, a little when he does this.

"Excuse me, your highnesses, but Princess April's parents wish for her to return to the party.

Oh crap, I think to myself. Busted! You idiot! Why couldn't you have been more careful?

"Thank you." I dismiss the guard.

I hold Christopher's hand for a moment, then if get up to walk away.

"April!" He calls just as I reach the doorway.

"Yes?" I ask.

"You forgot your birthday present." He hands me the small box.

"Thank you." I say. I hug him one last time, and as I do, I whisper, "I love you."

"I love you too." He whispers back.

The rest of the party is so dull. I don't even get to see Christopher again. The Selection candidates will be announced tomorrow evening. Oh no, I suddenly have a bad thought. What if my kiss with Christopher was caught on camera? A thousand bad thoughts run through my head. One that especially terrifies me is my parents finding out. Did Mom and Dad actually see the kiss? They never said anything to me, but you never know.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I'm sorry I didn't update for a while! I was traveling and I got sick, so yeah. I'm probably going to update tomorrow too. Sorry if the chapters start out slow, but I swear the story gets more interesting.**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

Mom wants me to come to her office the next morning. Yep, I'm screwed. I think to myself. The only problem is, how do you punish someone for this? We weren't doing it, and we weren't cheating on anyone. It was just a kiss!

I reach Mom's office and I knock on the door tentatively.

"Come in," she answers like she in the middle of writing something. When I walk in, she is.

"Good morning, April." She smiles as she says this.

"Good morning, Mom." I reply.

"Cecily," Mom turns to one of her maids. "Would you mind bringing us some tea?" She asks.

"Of course, your majesty." Cecily curtsies before she walks out.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" I ask.

"I wanted to speak to you about last night." She is suddenly very serious.

"What about last night?"

"April, I think we both know what I'm talking about."

"Oh. Mom, Christopher and I were just—"

"You don't leave a roomful of people just so you can spend time with one person!" She cuts me off. "You're a Princess for goodness sake! I know you wanted to spend some time with your closer friends, but that wasn't an option for you last night. You need to remember that everyone is there to see you, not just one person. I know this might mean having to see Kyle more often—"

"You noticed how strangely he was acting too?" I ask, a little surprised.

"Of course, no one missed it. Just be glad your father made the cameramen leave the room when he grabbed your hand to dance!"

"So wait, they didn't see Christopher and me leave the room?" I ask.

"No, and be glad they didn't see that either. This could've been a scandal. April, you have to be more careful next time."

"I will, I promise."

"Alright," Mom sighs. Cecily brings in our tea. "April, why don't we have tea in the gardens today?" Mom asks.

"That would be lovely." I reply.

Oh, my god. This means no one caught Christopher and I! I can't believe it!

Mom and I walk down the hallway to the gardens. We reach the door to the gardens and the guard opens it. I look at the guard to say thank you when I recognize his face. I pause for a moment and then realize that someone did see us. Everything feels perfect for a moment, until I hear a guard clear his throat behind me. I jump, a little when he does this. I remember.

I must look really panicked right now, because he asks me, "Your majesty, are you alright?"

"Yes," I say. "I'm fine. Thank you." I hurry out to the gardens to have tea with Mom. I can't help but think that the guard might tell someone.

"April, are you alright?" Mom asks me over tea.

"What?" I kind of spaced out. "Oh, yes. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine. I'm just... Nervous."

"Is it the Selection?"

"How did you guess?" I ask sarcastically.

"Maybe you should talk to your father. He knows more than I do about being the royalty in the Selection." Mom suggests.

"But Mom, he doesn't know about guys. He is a guy."

"I know, but you might be surprised about what he knows. Plus, he really wants to talk to you about this. He feels like he's losing you."

"Why? He realizes that I'm going to live at the palace, right?"

"Yes, but it's hard for fathers to let go of their daughters. My father was very upset when I married your father."

"Why?"

"Because that means to belonged to someone else."

"But you're not Dad's property."

"No, but it meant I spent less time with my father."

"So what are you suggesting I do?" I ask, the frustration growing in my tone.

"Just talk to him. Maybe once every day? It'll be worth it in the long run."

I sigh. "Okay, if it makes Dad happy."

"Thank you."

I head towards Dad's office. I sigh heavily then knock on the door.

"Come in." Dad says.

I walk in slowly.

"Hi Dad." I say as I walk toward his desk.

"April? I didn't expect to see you here." He says, stunned.

"I wanted to talk to you." I sit down.

"Me?" He points to himself. "Not your mother?"

"Yes, you." I say.

"Oh. Well this certainly is a surprise!" He smiles. "What did you want to talk about?"

"The Selection." I answer.

"The Selection?" He still seems stunned.

"Dad, I need you to focus. Yes, I'm talking to you. Can we get over that? This is really important to me." I beg.

"Alright, alright. I'll focus."

"Okay, so I'm really scared about eliminating, first of all. I don't want to have to be that mean. And I have to eliminate forty people in one night! How am I going to do this?" I notice I've stood up and started to pace.

"It will be easy once you meet the young men. You'll know who's wrong for you and who's right." He reassures.

"That brings us to question number two: what if I don't find someone I like? I don't want to regret my choice in the long run!"

"That's what I had thought during my Selection. I thought there was no way that I could ever find someone that was perfect for me, but I did. And in the first night! You'll figure out who's right for you."

"Okay, question number three: what if none of them like me?"

"Now you are worrying too much." Dad stands up and walks towards me. "They are going to love you. April, you're an amazing young woman."

"You're just saying that because you're my father." I say, looking up at him.

"Maybe, but think about it. Kyle seemed to like you at the party."

"Kyle," I huff. "Kyle is in love with himself. He's so full of it." I cross my arms.

"What about Christopher?" Dad asks.

I pause and my eyes widen.

"Christopher?" I ask.

"Yes, you know, the one you ran off with? That Christopher." Dad teases.

"Christopher is..." I trail off and look down.

"My point is, any of these young men will be lucky to marry you. You'll find the one for you."

I pause for a moment, then look up at Dad.

"Alright. Thanks for your help." I hug him.

"Anytime, Sweetheart." He says, hugging me even tighter.

Mom's right, it's going to be hard to let go.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for reading!**

The Selection candidates were announced this evening. Literally five stood out to me. There's Connor Troy. He seemed cute, but kind of full of himself (It's amazing how much a person can tell from a picture). There's William McCartney. He seemed pretty nice, but I can't help but think that there's got to be something he's hiding. He seems too good to be true. There's Cooper Devine, who seemed to be popular among the public. I later learned that his father is a local politician in Dakota and he's an actor on a teen comedy show. There's Drake Nicholson, who didn't stand out in a good way. I think he literally put on lipstick for his application picture (then again, Cooper probably did too). And there was Andrew Bradley. He seemed like the kind of guy in a clichéd movie where the loser girl who's strangely attractive falls in love with her nerdy best friend who's also weirdly attractive. I hope there are more choices for me than this, though.

I'm in Mom and Dad's office to talk about this evening.

"So what do you think about the choices?" Mom asks me.

"I don't know. They're attractive." Except for Drake Nicholson, I think.

"We tried to consider looks for the young men." Dad says.

"Tea, anyone?"mom asks at the drink cart.

"Yes, please." I reply.

Mom walks over with two china cups and hands me one.

"Maxon?" She asks.

"No thank you, dear." Dad says.

"The Selection candidates arrive here in five days, right?" I ask.

"Yes," Mom replies. "And we want you to be fully ready when you do, so Sylvia is going to help you with ball etiquette."

"Mom, I know what I'm doing. I had my birthday party a few days ago."

"Yes, but you stormed out."

"I didn't storm out, I just..." I trail off.

"Just what?" Mom asks.

"Just... Walked away from dozens of guests." I look down.

"Exactly." Mom crosses her arms. "So you are going to take lessons with Sylvia for the next four days."

"Four days?"

"Yes four, for three hours every day. Dancing for one, table etiquette for one, and conversations and eliminations for one."

I sigh. "Alright."

"And, we've arranged a dancing partner for you." Dad says, smirking.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"It means, you're going to have to practice with someone. A boy." Mom says.

I sigh again. "Fine."

Is this what regular people feel like?"

I head down to my lesson with Sylvia. On my way down, I run into someone unexpected as I turn the corner.

"Chris?" I ask as I see someone go into the ballroom.

He pokes his head out of the doorway.

"Hello April." He walks towards me.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'd ask you the same thing, but clearly I know the answer." He says. I giggle at this. "I'm here for your lessons. My parents and your parents decided to punish us this way." He answers.

"Some punishment. I despise you." I say.

"I can't stand you either."

"Well, that's too bad." Chris steps closer. "I think we would really get along."

I want to kiss him. I really really want to kiss him. But I can't. I know in the back of my mind that I can't. Not here, anyway.

He puts his arm around my waist and pulls me closer. It's like I'm hypnotized. His lips are just about to meet mine when I say, "Chris, we can't." I put my hand on his chest and gently push him away. "Not now." I look up into his blue eyes. I run my hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"You're right." He says. "Sorry."

"It's fine. It's not like it's your fault. It's mine for being born into this family." Chris laughs.

The thing about Chris and I is we always agree on when to stop. We've only had one argument, and I don't even remember what it was about because it was so stupid. It was sometime last year, I think.

"Here, let's go in." I say.

"Okay." He says. We turn the corner and walk in.

"Good morning, your majesties." Sylvia greets us as she curtsies.

"Good morning Sylvia." I say as I slightly bow.

"It's good to see you again, Sylvia." Chris says.

"Why thank you, Christopher!" Sylvia is quite flattered. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes." Chris and I answer simultaneously.

The lesson actually goes by fast. I learn how to dance a little better. Chris is definitely a better dancer than Kyle. My table manners are improved a bit as well. I also learned how to keep a conversation going, a skill I am horrible at with strangers. I also talked to Dad a little more today about eliminations. He told me if I want to eliminate someone, I should just say I want to speak with them later, and then break the news to them gently.

"Be sure to apologize when you do eliminate them." He reminded me.

Luckily, Chris will be here for a few more days. At least I'll get a little more time with him. He and I have decided to meet tonight in the gardens this afternoon to have tea. The bad news is, Crystal, Nathan, and Chris's younger sister and brother, Faye and Justin, are joining us. They're fine, it's just I wanted some alone time with Chris.

Elle helps me get ready for tea. She puts me in a cream-colored, lace dress with spaghetti-straps, since it's getting warmer. She also gives me a pair of white flats and puts my hair in a fish-tail braid to the side. I walk over to my dresser and put on my locket and my bracelet. I struggle to put the bracelet on. The clasps are so hard to get on with one hand!

"Here, miss. Let me help you." Elle walks over and puts the bracelet on.

"Thank you, Elle." I say.

"Anytime. I know it's very special."

"Yes," I look down at it. "It is."

"Here, let me help you with your makeup."

Elle applies my makeup lightly. She uses neutral colors, which is the way I like it applied. I have beigeish-tannish eye shadow, mocha mascara and eyeliner, and light pink lip gloss.

"Thank you, Elle." I say as she finishes.

"Your welcome." She replies. There's a knock at the door.

"Perfect timing!" I say as I get up to answer it. Chris stands there when I open it.

"You look beautiful." He says.

"Thank you, you look very handsome as well." I reply.

"Shall we?" He hold his arm out for me to take.

"We shall." I loop my arm through his, and we head to the garden.


	5. Chapter 5

**I hope everyone's enjoying their break! This is sort of a filler chapter, but sort of not to. I think I'll try to update chapter 6 soon too. Thanks for reading! Please remember to follow and favorite!** **-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

When we arrive at the garden, Crystal, Nathan, Faye, and Justin are waiting for us.

"There they are." Crystal says. She's sitting next to Justin (also known as her biggest crush), who is only interested in talking to Nathan about Illèa's national sports teams that recently competed in the Olympics (I can't believe that was an American tradition to survive). Faye is trying to talk to Crystal, but Crystal's not paying attention; she's too busy fawning over Justin.

"Hello, everyone." Chris says as he pulls out my chair.

"Thank you." I say as I sit down. Chris takes the seat next to me.

"So, how is everyone?" I ask.

"Fine, thank you." Faye replies. "And you?" She asks.

"I'm doing well." I lean over and look at Justin. "Justin?" I ask.

"Huh?" He looks at me for a moment, coming out of his conversation with Nathan.

"How are you doing?" I ask.

"Oh, fine." He replies, and then goes back into his conversation with Nathan.

I feel really sorry for Faye, but all I can really do now is give her a sympathetic glance. Maybe I'll get a chance to talk to her later. The funny thing is, Chris doesn't seem to notice. Does Faye isolate herself like this all of the time, or is Chris just being a jerk and not noticing? I can see how Faye would be the type to isolate herself. By the look of her black sweater over her mint green dress is clearly an indicator. The same way that she sweeps her bangs in front of her face is another thing.

Crystal on the other hand is opening herself up a little too much. She's been showing a little more cleavage lately. Her pink dress has sleeves, but the neckline is pretty dang low.

Nathan looks like he's trying to impress someone. He's wearing his nicest suit today. Unlike Justin, who is wearing an old suit with a stain on his tie. What does Crystal see in this guy?

While I try to figure everything out, Chris nudges me.

"April?" He asks.

"Hm?" I come out of my zoned-out world.

"Are you going to even touch your tea?"

"Oh, yes! Sorry." I apologize as I add a bit of sugar and cream to my tea.

"No need to apologize, I just wanted to make sure everything's okay."

"Yes, I just zoned out a bit." I don't look up at him. Instead, I turn to Faye.

"So Faye," I start.

"Yes?" She looks up from a gaze as well.

"How have your piano lessons been going?" I ask.

"Oh, they've been going well. I'm definitely not as good as you or your mother, but I'm all right. I can almost play Beethoven's Fur Elise." She replies shyly.

"That's amazing! I had a bit of trouble with that one. The back-up chords are always difficult for me. Maybe it's being a soprano one, but I always like to hear the high parts and the melodies." I say.

"Right..." she seems stunned at all of my music jibber-jabber.

"Sorry, was I going on too long? I tend to do that sometimes. Especially when it comes to music." I say.

"It's fine." Faye says.

The rest of tea is good. Chris and I hold hands under the table. He's going to come to my room after dinner tonight. I don't want the Selection to start, I just want to be with Chris more. Why can't we be together? Why can't I just call off the Selection? More importantly, why haven't I told my parents about Chris? If I'm going to complain, why haven't I done anything about it? Why am I holding back?


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, I couldn't resist uploading this. It's a real cliffhanger, and I'm pretty sure you guys are going to be mad at me. It's also really short compared to my other chapters. Oh well. Another thing I forgot to mention, I love hearing from you guys! So don't forget to post a comment! -ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

_I'm in my lesson. Chris is dancing with me. He spins me around once and when I look at him again, he's Gavril Fadaye._

_"Hello, April." He says in an evil way. I try to pull back, but he keeps me close. I look around the room to try to find Chris, but he's not there. When I look back at Gavril, he's turned into Kyle._

I wake up sitting up straight in bed. I'm panting a little, but I'm alone. I decide to go get some fresh air in the garden. I head downstairs, but when I turn the corner, I see two figures kissing. But who is it? I slowly tiptoe closer and realize who it is: Chris and Elle.


	7. Chapter 7

**Happy Easter everyone! I hope you all are enjoying or have enjoyed your break. Please comment, Favorite, Follow, etc. I hope you like it! Btw, I'm going to start responding to comments at the beginning of chapters like Academic Girl. Thanks for reading!**

**Athenachild101- I'm so happy that you said that! Maxerica all the way!**

I back away slowly, and then break into a run towards the gardens. I stop at the doors and tell the guards to open them. I run towards my parents' favorite bench. Instead of sitting on it, I sit on the grass next to it and I start sobbing. I sit there before someone walks up to me. I look up, expecting it to be Chris, but it's not. It's my dad.

"April, is everything alright?" He asks.

I stand up. "Um..." I trail off.

"April?" Dad asks again. Then I do something that surprises even me. I embrace him. Then I continue crying.

"Oh!" He's surprised by me sudden affection. "It's okay. It's okay." He says as he strokes my hair. "Here, let's sit down." He suggests. We sit on the bench. He puts my head on his shoulder and continues stroking my hair. He hasn't held me this close in forever.

"Now," he begins. I sit up. "What is all of this about?"

"Uh," I say. "I don't really know how to put this." I look to the side. He puts his hand under my chin and turns it to face him again.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me." He assures me.

I sigh. "Okay. There's this guy that I really liked, but I found out that he likes someone else. I actually found him with another girl."

"Wait, wait, wait, you liked someone else?" He interrupts.

"Um... Yeah." I say.

"Why did you want to have a Selection?" He asks.

"I knew that it was a big deal to you, and I wanted you to be proud of me."

"Sweetheart, I just want you to be happy."

"Now I think I'd be happy with the Selection. But what do I do now?"

"I think I know someone who can help." Dad says.

* * *

When we get to Mom and Dad's bedroom, I ask Dad, "Are you sure she's not going to mind?"

"Of course not! Why would she mind her daughter coming to her for advice?" He assures.

Dad leads me into their room. Mom is sitting at her small desk, working on something. She looks up from her work.

"April? What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing in here?" She asks.

"I need some advice. On... Boys." I say awkwardly.

"I see. Let's go get some tea." She leads me out of the room. "I'll take it from here, Maxon." She calls over her shoulder.

We go down to the family dining room, not the one that the Selection candidates will use.

"Now," Mom says when we get our tea. "What is all of this about?"

"There's this guy that I like and—"

"Christopher?" She cuts me off.

"Yes, how did you know?" I ask.

"Please honey, it's pretty obvious the way you ran off with him. Plus, I see the way that you two look at each other."

"Well, he's not interested anymore. I saw him and Elle together."

"Wait, Elle your maid?"

I nod. "They were kissing near the dining hall." I say.

"Wow," she says. "Just like Celeste." She mutters.

"Huh?" I ask.

"Nothing. Listen, do you think you can forgive him?"

"I don't know! In my heart I still love him, but I don't know if I can trust him now."

"So do you want to go through with the Selection?" She asks. I pause for a while.

"Absolutely." I finally say.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, guys! I actually updated when I said I would! Remember to Follow & Fav& comment & whatever else I'm forgetting. (Hats off to anyone who can find the Ferris Bueler reference!) **

**Athenachild101- I love that! I might use that when I'm talking to my friends now!**

**The-Things-I-Think-Of- Funny you say that, I always feel like I have to cut down on my chapters. Thanks for the note! (Btw, if you're talking about Chapter 6, I just made that short so I could have a good cliffhanger)**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

The Selection will begin today. Chris, unfortunately, has to stay at the palace due to renovations at the palace in Swendway. I mean really! He just couldn't find another place to stay? He's noticed that I've been avoiding him. He's tried to get closer to me, but I'm not going to let him crush me again. Pardon my French, but he's been a real asshole. His siblings are staying too. At least my siblings will have some friends to talk to while I go through the Selection. I don't know what to do about Elle. I've given her the day off and I'm going to let Tara and Paige take care of me instead.

I head downstairs for breakfast in our family dining room. When I walk in, I see Chris sitting right there. Great, I think to myself. I sit down at the other end of the table.

"Listen, April, whatever I did, I'm really sorry." Chris apologizes not so sincerely.

"Wow, that seemed like it took a lot of effort. That must have been so hard for you to say." I say sarcastically.

"What did I do to make you so mad at me?" He yells.

"Really? You can't think of anything that you did wrong?" I yell back. I feel my face turning red.

"No! What did I do wrong?"

"Oh, I don't know, you just made out with my maid for one!" I stand up and scream this.

Chris is suddenly quiet. "You saw that?" He asks.

I pause for a moment, look away from him and sit back down.

Chris stands up and walks over to me. He puts his hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off.

"April, I'm so sorry." He says. I don't look at him. I hear him walk away. I wait until I'm sure he's gone until I start crying silently. Hot tears stream down my face. I hear heels coming behind me and I wipe the tears away.

"Good morning, April." Mom is busy with paperwork and barely acknowledges me.

"Morning mom." I try to hide my sadness. She doesn't seem to notice anything.

"The Selection starts this evening, are you ready?" She asks, still not looking up.

"Yes, Sylvia has prepared me well." I answer.

"I knew she would." Mom smiles.

"I'm going to use the restroom." I say and I walk out of the room to clean my face.

Tara is helping me put my dress on. It's a lovely strapless white ball gown with gold accents and matching gloves. Tara gave me a pair of white one-inch heels to wear as well. I decide not to wear my locket. Instead, I put on a gold necklace my parents gave me for my sixteenth birthday. Paige is helping me with my makeup as well. She uses a tan for my eyeshadow, mocha eyeliner and mascara (so it doesn't look very unnatural with my blonde hair), and pink-nude lipstick. My hair is put up in a braid that wraps around my head and goes down my right shoulder.

A maid comes to tell me that all of the boys are in the ballroom. This is my cue to head downstairs. My heart is pounding. Mom and Dad told me to come to their office one last time before the ball. When I head to their office, I pass the two guarded doors to the ballroom. My future husband is in that room, I think as I walk by. I reach Mom and Dad's office and knock on the door.

"Come in." Mom says. I walk in and find Mom and Dad standing right next to each other. Mom's holding a box that looks like one a ring would come in, but about twelve times larger.

"What's in the box?" I ask.

"Well, since you are the princess, we decided that you should have a proper tiara, and not some hand-me-down that I used to wear." Mom says. She sets the box down on the desk and opens it. The tiara is silver with gold accents, like the rest of my outfit, and is about three inches high.

"Oh my god, it's beautiful." I put my hand to my chest.

"Here, I'll put it on." Dad says. I bend down a little so Dad can place it on my head.

"Thank you so much." I say as I rise.

"Come, let's go to the ball." Mom says.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading! Please keep commenting, favoriting, and following!**

**EmilyTheNerd: I think I've read at least one of them,but I'll go back and 's put it this way: if I haven't, I will.**

**Athenachild101: Thanks! That was one of those last-minute ideas I couldn't pass up. As for Elle,you'll have to see what happens...**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

"Announcing Princess April, and her parents: King Maxon and Queen America!" The guard announces. I walk in front of Mom and Dad, who link arms. I feel strangely alone right now. The boys applaud as we walk in. I smile and I make my way to the front of the room. Once I'm done with my grand entrance, I go over to Mom and ask her, "Whom do I dance with first?" I can hear the panic in my own voice.

"Anyone." Mom says.

"That doesn't help! I'm really lost right now!"

"Okay, okay," Mom tries to calm me down. "Why don't you dance with him?" Mom points to a boy about ten feet away.

"Alright." I let out a big sigh.

"Ask me if you have another problem." She reminds me as I walk away.

I turn on the princess in me as I walk up to a boy with brown hair.

"Excuse me," I gently tap on his shoulder. "Would you care to dance?"

He's speechless. It seems that he can't believe I'm actually talking to him.

"Uh, um yes!" He finally stammers. I put my hand on his shoulder and he puts his hand on my back. He takes my hand and we begin to waltz.

"I'm Princess April, as if you couldn't tell." I try to ease the tension by being sarcastic.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness. I'm Jacob Easton of Clermont." He replies nervously.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Jacob. And please, don't be nervous. I want to get to know you, not some guy who can't relax." I say.

"Oh, alright. I'm sorry." He is so serious and terrified when he says this. I can't help but giggle a bit.

"You don't have to apologize." I say.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He seriously won't relax!

Okay, after one hour, I've figured out ten people to eliminate, including Jacob. Most of these boys just won't relax! Others are really stuck up. Drake Nicholson was one of those people. There are others that are really awesome too. Andrew Bradley was really nice as well as Cooper Devine (surprisingly). They both seemed really relaxed, which I like. There was another one, Hunter Clifton, who I also really liked.

Right now, I'm dancing with Bennett Niles, who jerks his hand a lot when he dances, so we can't really have a conversation.

"Well, Bennett," I finally say, my head about to fall off from being jerked around too much. "It was very nice to meet you, but I have to keep going with the other candidates."

"Alright, you majesty." He bows and walks away.

I sigh heavily and walk over to the side to get a quick drink. A butler hands me a glass of champagne.

"Thank you," I say and I take a sip. I look at him and realize who he is. "Chris, what are you doing here?" I whisper angrily.

"I need to talk to you." He whispers.

"Well, now is not a good time. Just talk to me later." I set my glass down and walk away.

He grabs my arm before I get too far away. "April wait." He says.

"What?" I stop so this doesn't turn in to some scene. He let's go.

"Just know that I'm sorry."

"I know you're sorry, I just don't know if I want to forgive you." I walk away before he says anything else.

I dance with another boy, Matthew Keaton, to get my mind off of Chris. I think I like him. He's pretty funny. I accidentally stepped on his toe and he said, "It's okay, my toes needed a little bit of color to them anyway." He's from Carolina, so Mom would like him too. He's pretty cute too. He has medium blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Well, Matthew, I have to move on. It was so nice to meet you." I say.

"It was a pleasure for me as well." He bows slightly.

"And you never know, maybe you'll want to get a pedicure to help your toe. Try a nice pink shade to match the purple that will show up when your toe finally bruises."

"Thanks for the advice, but I think I'm going to go with red." He winks. I giggle and walk away.

Well, that was a nice distraction.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! Thanks for reading! I'm now up to over a thousand views! YAY! Keep sending in those reviews! Sorry I updated kind of late. I wasn't feeling great today. But I'm updating now!**

**EileenAbbey- Thank you so much! I'm so happy you like it!**

**Athenachild101- I think you'll be quite pleased in the next few chapters then. ;)**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

I've decided on the ten candidates to stay. Matthew Keaton, Andrew Bradley, Cooper Devine, Hunter Clifton, Connor Troy, Luke Radcliffe, William McCartney, Thomas Pratt, August Jordan, and Jason Edwards. Surprisingly, this wasn't a tough decision. The tough part will be the next elimination, but that won't be for a while.

I refused to talk to Chris last night. There was a guard stationed at my door to make sure no one would come in. I just want to block him out for the time being.

I don't know what to do about Elle. I gave her the rest of the week off so I can think. I want to ask Mom, but it just feels so awkward asking her about that.

I've noticed that Faye and Nathan have been hanging out a little more. They went to the theater this afternoon. Young love is a beautiful thing, I must can't seem to find it for myself. I'm glad they're happy though. Nathan deserves a sweet girl like Faye.

Side there was a mass elimination today, I am only going to see the remaining candidates at meals. That gives me time to plan what I want to do with them. I think I'm going to go to the gardens with Matthew. It seems like that would be a good place to talk to him. I think I'm going to go to the theater with Cooper. He told me about how his father made a movie last year, so I figured that he might want to see a movie from a few centuries ago like Singin' in the Rain. I don't know why, but it seems like something he'd like. Luke and Thomas all love art, so I thought they'd like to see the palace's private gallery. William would probably like archery, so I think I'll show him that. Andrew and Jason both lived on farms, so I'm going to take them to out stables. August has a love for music, so I'm going to show him the instruments we have. I don't know what to do with Hunter yet, but I bet I'll think of something.

I found out from Mom that Jason, Luke, and William are sons of some of the candidates from Dad's Selection. Luke's mother was a woman named Kriss, Jason's was a woman named Anna, and William's was a woman named Bariel. I wonder what they were all like.

I'm in my room reading a book right now. I'm in the middle of finding out if one of the characters dies, but there's a knock on the door. I walk over and answer it.

"Chris." I say flatly.

"April, can we please talk?" He begs.

"I don't know if I can trust anything you say." I cross my arms.

"Please, April, just let me explain what happened."

"I have a feeling that whatever you tell me is going to be a lie."

"Will you please just listen to what I have to say? Please?"

I think for a moment. "Fine," I can't believe I'm doing this. "You have two minutes."

He walks in. "First of all, I just want you to know how much I love you." He sucks up.

"One minute forty-five seconds left." I remind him.

"Right, okay. With Elle, that was all a mistake. Just know that I'm sorry about that. With you doing the Selection, I feel like I'm losing you."

"Newsflash, you are."

"Well I think it's great that you're finding your soulmate, but I don't have anyone else that I love. There's only you."

"How the hell can you kiss someone like that and say there's no one else out there for you?"

"Because you're the one that I really want. That was just one time. I want our relationship to last for the rest of our lives."

"Well, I don't. I've moved on."

"And maybe I should just accept that, but you've got to understand, I—"

"Chris, why did you pick now to tell me this? I'm in the middle of finding a husband! I don't need you! With you staying here, it's not doing anything. It's merely an annoying distraction that's not changing my mind about anything!"

"April will you just listen?"

"Time's up."

"April, just let me finish!"

"No, you're done."

"Fine, shut me out of your life. But at least take Elle back. She didn't do anything wrong to deserve being fired."

"That's my decision to make." I say, and I shut him out of my room.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading! Keep commenting, favoriting, following, etc. I hope you guys are having a good weekend! I start tests this week, so I might hold off a little on updating. Maybe not. Time will tell. Anyway, enjoy! (I would like to apologize in advance for spelling and grammar errors. I didn't use spell check this time.)**

**Athenachild101- I'm looking forward to that part too!**

I'm on my date with Matthew right now. We've been telling each other funny stories for over half an hour.

"So then, " he continues with his story about how they had broken a vase playing catch. "My siblings and I snuck into the attic and hid for about three hours—"

"Three hours?" I interrupt.

"Well yeah, my parents were at the auction preparations, remember?"

"Oh yeah, continue." I'm giggling madly.

"So when they got home, they were panicking that we had been kidnapped. They eventually found us. We told them what had happened and it turned out, we hadn't broken a valuable vase, it was a piece of crap my mother had gotten at the flea market for a couple of dollars."

"No way! After you all were so worried like that?"

"Yeah."

"That's hilarious!"

"Now it's your turn."

"Alright, let's see..." I think for a minute. "Alright, so when I was about fourteen years old, my siblings and I decided that we were going to deliver breakfast in bed to our parents for their anniversary."

"Oh no, this can only go downhill." He interrupts.

"Well, we got some of the servants to help us by showing us how to cook the stuff. When we were done, we were so proud that we had made the stuff. So we took the food on a tray up to my parents' room. When we walked in, they were, um." I gave to laugh for a moment. "They were uh, doing it." I say subtly.

"No way! _Your_ parents?" He laughs.

"Yep. They didn't even stop! We just walked out of the room quietly and left the tray outside of the door."

"Oh my goodness." He wipes a tear away from his eye from laughing so hard.

"I know. You never forget something like that."

"That's really funny, because my sister and I did the same thing when I was sixteen and she was fifteen. We had been arguing about something stupid, so we walked into their room to settle the dispute, and they were doing it."

"Oh my god! No!" I hold my stomach.

"Yeah, the worst part about _that_ was they wanted to talk about it. It was horrifying!" He and I pause to laugh.

After we settle down, I ask him, "So what's your family like?"

"Well," he starts. "I've got three sisters and two brothers. One older sister, two younger; one older brother, one younger. There's one set of twins: Amber and Daniel."

"Identical of fraternal?"

"Fraternal. The ages are Gilbert: twenty-four, Marissa: twenty-two, me: twenty-one, Amber and Daniel: sixteen (ten minutes apart, Amber born first), and finally Claire: fourteen. Mom had a miscarriage between me and the twins." He says the last part sadly.

"My mom had a miscarriage too. It was after my sister, Crystal was born. That's when mom decided to stop having kids. My grandmother had three or four miscarriages. That's why my dad's an only child."

"Yeah, it's really rough."

"Yeah."

"We'll tell me about your family." He tries to lighten the mood.

"Oh. Well, there's my older brother, Lance. He's currently living in Carolina with his new wife. They decided to live in the mountains there. He's twenty-one."

"Didn't he marry a servant or something?"

"Yeah, he fell in love with a maid. Luckily, Mom and Dad approved."

"I think that's really cool that he found love with someone like that."

"Me too. Then there's me, I'm nineteen and I'm trying to find a husband."

"Really? Well I'm available!"

"Really? I think that _might_ work out!" I put a lot of emphasis on might so he doesn't get too hopeful. "Then there's Nathan, he's sixteen. He's a little shy, but he's so kind to everyone. My sister Crystal, on the other hand, is all about appearances. She wants boys to notice her and crap like that."

"Same with Claire. Amber realized after a while that if a boy doesn't like who she is, then it's their loss."

"Smart girl." I nod my head in satisfaction that some girls think that. "Can she tell Crystal that?"

"I wish. I hate phony girls. Anyway, continue."

"That's it. You really hate phony girls?"

"Heck yes! Why would I like a girl who's so obsessed with pleasing someone? If someone just doesn't like you, you should let it go!" He uses his hands a lot to talk. It's kind of cute.

"Exactly!" I exclaim.

"I mean, how would it look if guys did that all the time like girls do? What would it look like if guys had on loads of lipstick and foundation every day?"

"Pretty funny if you ask me."

"Yeah, I kind of want to see that now." He winks. I giggle.

I sigh. "Well, this has been fun. I should meet with the other guys too."

"Alright."

"I'll walk you to your room." I offer.

"Alright. I feel like a girl, but alright."

I walk him up to his room so I can pick up Cooper.

"It was lovely talking to you." I say as Matthew opens the door to his room.

"Same here." He says. He takes my hand and kisses it. "Goodbye, your majesty." He bows.

"Goodbye, Matthew." I say.

He closes the door and I walk towards Cooper's room feeling light and happy.


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, I'm SOOOOO sorry for not updating sooner, but I had an essay that I needed to focus on. I'll try to update tomorrow if I can as well. Please comment and Fav and Follow, etc. Thanks for reading and sorry again for the late update!**

**Athenachild101- I love writing chapters like that, so I'm glad you liked it!**

**MyOwnEndings- I'm so glad you like the references! Maybe I'll try to throw those in too... Btw, yes it DID have to be Celeste. She ruins everything else, why not this?**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

After a week, I'm ready to make another elimination. Andrew and Connor are going to have to go. I guess I was wrong about Andrew. In the beginning I really thought he was the one I was going to end up with. Making eliminations has been a lot easier that I thought it would. Does that make me a bad person?

I'm on a date with Cooper right now. He and I are in the theater again. We're watching West Side Story, one of my personal favorites. Cooper really likes the old movies from when the United States was still a country. It's at the end of the movie, and I'm crying like an idiot.

"April, are you okay?" Cooper asks.

"Yeah, it's just a sad ending. I've probably seen this movie twenty times, but it gets me every time." I respond.

"I get the same way sometimes."

"Yeah. Hey, tomorrow I want to show you an old comedy."

"You already showed me Singin' in the Rain!" He disputes.

"No, like a comedy that's not a musical. That has been our theme for the movies we've seen."

"I like musicals, though." He makes a pouty face like a child.

"Me too, but trust me, you're going to be crying at the end of this."

"Is it another sad movie? I thought you said it was a comedy!"

"It is, you're going to laugh so hard you're going to cry."

"I have a strange feeling that's accurate." He winks.

I giggle. "Well, I have some other business to attend to. It was lovely spending time with you again."

"You as well. It's always a pleasure." He exits the room.

I go to my room. Elle's standing in there.

"Elle? What are you doing in here?" I ask.

"Your majesty, you have given me way too much time off. What is going on that I have to avoid work?" She demands.

I hesitate. Should I just tell her the truth? Should I fire her? "Okay, Elle, I've been wanting to talk to you about this for a long time." I pause to take a deep breath. "I saw you and Prince Christopher kissing."

She blushes. "Oh no, I'm so sorry your majesty! Please forgive me! I didn't know what I was doing. He somehow convinced me that it would make me feel good, but it only made me feel sick inside. I don't want you to feel bad if you choose to fire me." She apologizes frantically.

"Elle, I don't want to fire you. I understand how Christopher could convince you to do that, but it's also hard to let that go."

"I understand. It's okay, I'll resign."

"Elle, you don't have to resign."

"No it's okay, I have to. It wouldn't be right if I didn't."

"Elle, please. Don't feel like you have to—"

"It's fine. I'll leave." She cuts me off.

And just like that, I've lost my maid and best friend.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Only three more days until The One comes out! AAAHHHH! I'm SOOOOO EXITED! Btw, there is a website called where you can look at the first like 8 chapters of The One. I read it all in like one hour. It's soooo good! Omg, I can't stop freaking out! Anyways, go check that out if you want. Please keep posting comments, faving, following, etc. (why do I always say etc.?)**

**Athenachilld101- Thanks sooooo much for the website! I couldn't resist reading! Also, I already have an idea about that character you mentioned. Stay tuned!**

**Thanks for reading! -ReadLikeYouMeanIt  
**

It's been hard not having Elle as my maid. I feel like I can't talk to Paige and Tara like I talked to her.

I've decided to make another elimination. I know I'm going pretty fast, but as time goes on, I see my choices more clearly. Hunter and August are going to have to go. Mom has decided to have the remaining Selected's families visit. I'm rather exited to meet Cooper and Matthew's families. There will be a party in a week and a half.

Chris has not left yet. When will he just let it go? I'm done with him! The good news is, a relationship is blooming. Nathan and Faye were holding hands in the garden today! They are both so sweet. I feel like they truly deserve each other. Chris has still tried to talk to me about Elle. I told him I didn't blame her, and I've forgiven him, but I don't want him around anymore. He said he'd leave soon, like I've never heard that one before.

I'm about I go on another date with Matthew. We're having tea in the gardens since it's such a beautiful day. Tara puts me in a top-half-denim, bottom-half-white-lace dress. Paige does my makeup like she did at the ball since that's the way I like it. I also put on a pair of white sandals. I head to the gardens soon after I'm ready.

When I get there, it's not Matthew I see on a bench: it's Chris. I mean, really? Can he just give it up for one hour? I'm so sick of this.

I march up to him and ask, "What the hell do you think you're doing down here?"

"April, just let me apologize one last time." He begs.

"No, you've done enough. You need to leave."

"Please, just hear me out."

"Chris," I'm trying to stay as calm as I can, but he's really aggravating me. "You've done enough. It's time for you and your family to go home."

"April, please." He stands up and grabs me hands. "You have a backup plan, I don't have anyone. There is no one else that is left for me."

"Please, you're a prince. Have your own selection, marry another Princess, do something. But get over me because I'm done. I've moved on. I think you should too."

He looks at the ground. "Fine," he finally says. "You and Matthew will be very happy together." He let's go of my hands and walks away.

I sigh in relief. He's actually gone! That is such a burden lifted off of my shoulders.

Matthew enters the gardens five minutes later.

"Am I late?" He asks.

"Not at all. Princesses are always early, especially if they're anxious to meet handsome young men." I respond. He takes my hand and kisses it.

"Shall we?" I ask and direct him to the small table.

"Of course." He says. When we reach the table, he pulls my chair out for me.

"Well, aren't you polite?" I say as I take a seat.

"No, it's just an act. I usually put my elbows on the table, slurp my tea, and chew with my mouth open." He winks.

"I hate it when people chew with their mouth open. It's a pet peeve of mine." I pretend to shiver.

"Well, now I know how I'm going to eat."

"Ew! No!" I say in a girly voice. He laughs at this.

Half way through tea, I notice Matthew staring at me admirably.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing, you just seem so much happier than you have before. I like it." He says.

"Really? Thank you." I can't help but smile (I guess I smile more since I seem happy).

"You should smile more often. You look prettier when you really smile."

"Are you telling me that I'm ugly when I don't smile?" I pretend to be outraged, but this just makes me smile more.

"No, but don't I look better when I smile?" He asks.

"You always look good." I say.

"Okay, you're just showing off your people skills. You have an advantage since you're the princess!"

I giggle. "Oh the perks of being me!"

We laugh for a second, and then he says, "Well, since we're done with tea, why don't we take a walk?"

"Alright." I say.

We walk around a bit. At one point, he grabs my hand. I squeeze his hand a bit to let him know this is what I want. After about ten minutes of this, a guard comes to let me know my father needs to see me.

"Alright, thank you." I respond. I turn back to Matthew. "I'm so sorry."

"That's quite alright. I know I can't have you all to myself all the time." He assures me. I appreciate that about him. He's never jealous of the other candidates. He knows I have other things I have to do. I wish this weren't true, but I know it is.

"Well, I guess I will see you later." I say.

"Yes," he says a little sadly. "See you later."

I begin to walk away, but he calls after me, "April!" I turn around. He rushes up to me. "One more thing." He says.

"What?" I ask.

"I just wanted to let you know—" He bends down a little since I'm a little shorter than him and he gives me a small kiss in the cheek.

"That's it?" I ask.

"Huh?" He asks.

"Well I just thought that you were going to—" I pull him close to me and kiss him deeply on the lips. He looks stunned.

"I'll see you later." I say with my arms still around his neck. I let go and head towards my dad's office.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! Sorry I updated late yet again. _The One_ comes out tomorrow! AAHHHH! I'm sooooo exited! If you didn't see my last post, there's a website called /. You can view the first like 8-10 chapters. Let me just say, Kiera Cass is a genius for creating _The Selection_ (which *disclaimer: I don't own.) and this is going to be a great book! Please remember to fave & follow as well as comment. I love hearing fromyou guys so much! Thanks for all of your support (especially when I don't update soon enough. Sorry again)! Enjoy!**

**Guest- I know, right? Gregory Illea was such a jerk for not letting his daughter have one! Thanks for your support!**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

Dad just wanted to tell me the itinerary for the families' party. They'll arrive next week. Mom and I have started preparations. We're going to treat these families like royalty, literally.

It's a few days later. Chris leaves today. I told Mom I really need to focus on the Selection, but she's still making me go to the airport to wish him well. A guard knocks on my door and enters.

"Your majesty, the Queen wanted for me to inform you that you are to leave in an hour. She suggests you begin to get ready." He says.

"Alright, thank you." I respond. He bows and exits. Tara and Paige walk in to help me get ready. They put me in a light pink, silky day dress with straps and a white sweater. I'm also given a pair of white sandals. My makeup is applied the way I like it. My hair is curled in ringlets.

"Are you glad to have the prince out of your hair?" Paige asks me.

"Paige, that's rude!" Tara scolds.

"No, it's okay. I am glad." I respond.

"Oh," Tara says, surprised that I didn't scold her and Paige.

"It's fine, I don't mind talking about it." Why am I always trying to ease the tension with everyone? I'm I that scary?

There's a knock at the door.

"Come in." I announce.

"Your majesty," a guard enters, "it's time to go."

"Alright, thank you." I thank Paige and Tara before I leave.

I find Chris, Faye, Nathan, Crystal, and Justin downstairs, and we get in a limo to go to the airport.

"You look lovely." Chris says as he helps me in the car.

"Thank you. You look handsome as well." I respond to be polite. I slide in and. Chris slides next to me and whispers, "Liar." I look straight ahead and don't say another word on the ride there.

When we get to the airport, I hug everyone goodbye. Chris whispers in my ear, "I'll never forget you. I hope you won't forget me either."

"I won't." I promise. And I truly mean it.

I'm helping Mom plan the party.

"Alright, so this will be a fancy party for the families to enjoy, correct?" I ask.

"Yes. We'll make it similar to your birthday ball before the Selection began." She replies.

"Do the maids have everyone's fittings?"

"Yes. They will begin making the dresses and suits immediately. The families chose what kind of dresses and suits they want and have sent in designs."

"Good. Are we serving champagne or wine?"

"I thought we'd serve a nice white wine. Is that alright?"

"Okay, as long as we don't have an open bar. I feel like lots of things could go wrong with that."

"The thing is do you want to see if things go wrong to help make another elimination?" Mom points this out.

I think about this for a moment. "Alright, I guess. But have the butlers going around serving wine. Tell them not to take drink orders and to tell the guests where the open bar is."

"Good plan." Mom smiles.

"Alright. Are we done for the day?" I ask hopefully.

"Yes, you can go." She says. I stand up and head towards the door.

"Okay thanks bye!" I say looking over my shoulder.

I go to the gardens to enjoy the beautiful day. I stop to smell the roses, literally.

"Isn't that a beautiful sight?" I hear someone behind me. I turn around and see Thomas standing three feet away from me. "There's a beautiful rose next to a flower bush."

"Hello, what are you doing here?" I say with a smile.

"I decided to enjoy the sunshine." He replies as he takes a step closer.

"Me too. Want to take a walk?" I ask.

"Of course." He offers his arm. "Shall we?"

I take his arm. "We shall."

Thomas and I take a lovely walk through the garden. We talk about everything. I haven't had this much fun with him ever. In fact, I had been thinking of eliminating him. We decide to go inside so we don't get sunburned.

"Well that was lovely." I say as we go inside. "Thank you, Thomas."

"Anytime. I had fun too." He takes my hand and gently kisses it.

"Goodbye." I walk away slowly.

"Bye." He calls.

I'm glad there are more candidates to consider now. Maybe this won't be as easy as Dad said it would.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! The One came out today! Sadly, the copy I pre-ordered online will not get here until 2-6 days. :( Oh well, life will go on. I'm proud of myself for updating this fast! Please comment! I don't have any new comments this time! Are you guys too busy reading The One? I'm just going to assume that and move on. Also remember to fave & follow! Also, congrats to anyone who finds the Key and Peele reference (it's pretty easy if you've seen the substitute).**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

The families arrive today. We're going to have a meet and greet with the families at tea in the gardens. The ball is tomorrow. Mom told me during the tea, get to know the parents, and during the ball, get to know the siblings. My siblings will be helping me out through this process as well. I made Crystal swear she wouldn't hit on, crush on, kiss, etc. any of the family members.

Things have been so peaceful since Chris left. It feels so good to have him out of my hair. Nathan has been depressed ever since Faye left, but I bet he'll get over it. Crystal's moved on from Justin, thank God. He was kind of a jerk anyway.

Tara and Paige are helping me get ready for tea. My dress today is a light brown dress that goes to my knees with a white empire waist and ruffles at the bottom and one-and-a-half-inch straps. I also have a pair of nude-colored flats to wear. I wear my gold locket with a replaced picture of Crystal and Nathan instead of the one Chris gave me. My makeup is applied as usual.

Mom wants the whole family to meet in her office before tea. Crystal meets me in my room and we head down together. She's wearing chiffon, light green dress with short sleeves and a matching pair of heels. Her strawberry-blonde hair is put up in a ponytail. Her makeup (which is usually applied too darkly) is applied to compliment her blue eyes.

"You look beautiful." I say.

"Thanks, you do too." She says with a small smile.

"Hey, I'm sorry about Justin."

"Oh please, he was a total jerk." She waves the matter away. I'm glad she can let go of things. Right now I'm kind of concerned that Nathan won't.

We reach the office and mom is straightening Dad's tie. She's wearing a white skirt-suit with a yellow top underneath the blazer. Dad is wearing a dark-grey suit with a lavender shirt and violet tie. His hair is in a mess, so there must be some controversial issues somewhere in the country that he's been dealing with all day. Mom looks her usual proper self, however.

"Where's Nathan?" I ask.

"He's in the bathroom. He'll be out in a minute." Dad says, holding his head high so Mom can fix his tie.

"Were you nervous, Dad?" I ask.

"When the families came?" He asks. I nod. "Not really." He answers.

"Liar!" Mom says as she finishes fixing his tie. "You came to me talking about how nervous you were! I was the one that reassured you that you had nothing to worry about!"

"Okay, well I may have been a little nervous, but—"

"Oh please." Mom rolls her eyes. "You know, sometimes you think you're braver than you are!"

"And sometimes you underestimate me!" He says. Crystal and I look at each other and giggle.

"Where is your brother? He should have been back by now!" Mom says.

"He's right here." Nathan walks in.

"Oh good, we're all ready." Mom says. "Now remember, be polite to these people. They're going to be very nervous because they want their children to win."

"Can we refrain from saying 'winning the Selection'? I hate to think that this is a competition." I cross my arms uncomfortably.

"Alright, they want their sons to marry April." Mom looks at me as if to say, "Happy now?" I nod, but it still sounds bad. It's like I'm an object and not a person.

"Okay, let's go." Mom waves us along to go.

We reach the gardens and the families are awaiting us. We are announced and everyone claps. I smile and wave gently. There are more children than I expected.

Every family resembles their children. Matthew's siblings all have medium blonde, light blonde, or light brown hair and blue eyes. William's four siblings have medium shades of brunette hair and have either brown eyes or green eyes. Their father has brown hair and green eyes and his mother has brown hair and brown eyes. Cooper's three siblings have his brown hair and brown eyes. Jason's siblings have his tanner skin, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. His mother has a little lighter skin tone with brown hair and hazel eyes and their father has dark brown hair, dark eyes, and olive skin. Luke's siblings have caramel hair and either hazel eyes or brown eyes. His mother has brown hair and brown eyes and his father has blonde hair and green eyes. Thomas's siblings have either black hair or dark brown hair and either green eyes or blue eyes. Their father has black hair and green eyes and his mother has brown hair and blue eyes.

Mom seems to recognize a lot of the people here, weirdly. The families are sitting at separate tables with one seat open at all of them. I'm going to start with Thomas's family and end with Matthew's family.

I walk over to Thomas's table and introduce myself.

"Hello, I'm Princess April." I say sweetly. They all start to get up to bow or curtsy, but I say, "Oh, you don't have to get up. Please, sit." I open my arms up for them to sit down, and then sit down myself.

"April, this is my father, Michael and my mother, Danielle." Thomas introduces them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I say to both of them.

"And you as well." His father says.

"And these are my siblings, Hazel and Clark." Thomas says. His sister looks about seventeen or eighteen and his brother looks about twenty.

"Hello." Hazel and Clark say simultaneously.

"Hello. Hazel, I love your dress." I say.

"Oh, thank you!" She seems surprised that I'm this nice.

"Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, you have a very kind and thoughtful son." I say.

"Why thank you!" His mother says.

"He seems very happy at the palace. I can see why though. It's absolutely stunning here." Mr. Edwards says.

I continue talking to Thomas's family for another fifteen or so minutes before I move on to Luke's family.

Luke's family is very kind. His siblings—Kaitlin, Damon, and Isabelle—are a little younger than he is. Kaitlin is twelve, Damon is fourteen, and Isabelle is sixteen. His mother is really nice as well as his father. His mother talks about how proud she is of her son and how sweet I am.

I move on to Jason's family. They seem a bit more nervous. His mother scolds her children a lot. He has five siblings: Nicholas (seven), Cody (ten), Lacey and Jenny (twins that are fourteen), and Garret (seventeen). His mother seems really stressed to be here. His father is a bit shy, but I think that's because he doesn't want to get in trouble with his wife. I try to be nice, but I can't believe how tense this family is.

Next is Cooper's family. His siblings are Trevor (thirteen), Danica (sixteen), and Rachel (nineteen). His father is really funny. He's a bit cocky, though. He brags about his movies a lot. His mom's really nice, but she just kind of follows her husband's lead. He and I talk about the old movies I showed Cooper and he likes that I've shown him a lot of classics.

I move on to William's family. His mom seems really fake. It probably doesn't help that her breasts are the size of the Himalayas. She's nice and all, but it's like she's hiding something. I can see where Will gets it. His dad spends his time bragging about Will and his mom. There's gotta be something that they're not telling me. Are they serial killers or something? I seriously wouldn't be surprised based on their behavior. His siblings are pretty stuck up too. Their names are Timothy (ten), Aaron (thirteen), Denise (fifteen), and Jacqualen (seventeen). They talk to each other about every one else's outfits, makeup, and the rest if their appearances. You know it's bad if the mom starts out a conversation by saying, "So April, you're pretty. Have you ever done a photo shoot?"

I'm glad to move on to another family by the time I'm done with them. I'm to Matthew's family now. His siblings are really sweet. His mom and dad are a really funny couple. They're so sweet together too. At one point, his dad says, "So I'd like to settle the tab my son has started. What all has he broken so far?"

"Nothing...yet!" I say as I laugh.

"I would like to apologize for my son and husband in advance. They're nothing but trouble-makers!" His mom fake-scolds them. Matthew's so sweet with his siblings. He catches up with them a little, trying to enjoy his time with them. The other guys didn't seem to do that as much.

Once we're done, we dismiss the families. Mom is going to have my family meet in her office again. She said she's got a surprise for us. Crystal and I head down together. I ask her which families she liked best and she said Cooper's, Luke's, and Matthew's. She asked me, and I said that I'd tell her later.

We reach Mom's office and when we walk in there's a woman with blonde hair standing next to Mom.

"Marlee!" I exclaim.


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, I'm so sorry that i didn't update sooner. I've been really busy and I've had writer's block. My school year will be ending soon, so hopefully I'll get to update more often. Please fave, follow, and review! I want to get to 30 reviews soon!**

**Athenachild101- Yeah, i still haven't gotten my copy. I'm thinking of breaking down and going to Barnes & Noble so I can have a copy, then give that to a friend when I'm done. This is how desperate I am!**

**Thanks for reading! -ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

I run up to Marlee and embrace her.

"It's so good to see you, April!" She let's go and grabs my hands. "Look at you! You're so grown up!"

"Thank you!"

"And look at you, Crystal!" Marlee walks up to Crystal and hugs her. "Oh my goodness, you're so beautiful!"

"Thank you!" Crystal squeals.

"Where's Carter?" I ask.

"He's in the gardens with you father and Nathan." She says.

"What about your kids?" Crystal asks.

"Madeline and Joseph are in the gardens as well." She replies. Madeline is fifteen and Joseph is seventeen.

"So Marlee, why are you here?" I ask.

The last time we saw Marlee was Christmas. She and Carter live in Angeles with their kids, but we can never see them since we're not permitted to leave the palace most of the time. Marlee and Mom used to be really good friends during the Selection. Something happened and she was eliminated, but Mom won't tell me. We usually spend holidays with them. They would've come to my birthday this year, but they had family business to attend to.

"Your mother invited us to come to the ball!" She replies.

I gasp. "Really?" I turn to Mom. "You did?"

"Yes, I figured that they're basically our second family, so why not?" Mom shrugs.

"Will you help me get ready?" Crystal asks.

"Of course! I'll help you get ready as well, April. Madeline and I will meet you two in April's room tomorrow evening."

"Great!" Crystal and I exclaim.

"April, there is someone else here to see you." Mom says. "Honey, you can come out now." She calls. Someone with strawberry-blonde hair turns the corner and enters the room. He's wearing a pastel button-up shirt and a pair if khakis. He's with a lady with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She's wearing a green day dress. She looks pregnant.

"Lance!" I exclaim. I run up to him and hug him. Crystal quickly follows.

"It's so good to see you guys." He says as he embraces us. He lets go of the two of us.

"Sarah! It's so good to see you!" I hug her a little more gently.

"Thank you, you as well." She says. It seems like she's finally getting used to being a part of the family and not being a maid.

"Crystal, you're growing up so quickly!" She says as she hugs her.

"Thank you!" Crystal says.

"How are you two?" I ask.

"We're great! Sarah's four months pregnant with twins!" Lance says.

"Twins? Congratulations!" I exclaim.

"I would like to catch up with you all over tea, but it seems that you all have just had tea." Lance says. I giggle.

"Well why don't we take a walk in the gardens?" I ask.

"Alright. Crystal, how about you and I see a movie later. I want to catch up with April for a while." Lance asks.

"Okay. Selection talk?" She asks. Lance nods. "Okay, I'll just catch up with Sarah or Madeline when she gets back."

"Thanks." Lance kisses Sarah on the head and give Crystal one last hug before we go to the gardens.

"Hey," I say as we walk in the hallway. "Can I go change?"

"You miss wearing jeans, huh?" He asks. I nod.

"Alright. I'll wait in the gardens." He says with a smile.

"Okay, thanks."

I go upstairs and change into a pair of dark blue jeans, a mint green tank top, and a pair of sandals. It feels good to be casual again.

I say a quick hello to Dad, Carter, Madeline, and Joseph who are coming back in before going out to the gardens myself.

Lance is waiting on one of the benches. He's unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt to look more casual as well.

"The gardens look lovely this time of year." He says as he stands up.

"Yeah, it's good to go on dates here." I say.

"You do that too?"

"Yeah, thanks for the idea."

We begin to walk around and just talk.

"So how's the Selection going?" He asks.

"It's going well." I respond.

"Any soul-mates yet?" He asks.

"Possibly." I probably look dreamy-eyed.

"I'm glad. With my Selection, there just weren't any girls that felt right for me. Then Sarah showed up in my life and, well, here we are now." He shrugs.

"I'm glad things worked out for you." I pause for a moment. "Lance, did you really ever want to become King?"

He thinks about this for a moment. "I thought I did, when I was about fourteen. I loved the part about being in charge and running things the way I wanted to. But the thing is, there's so much pressure that comes along with that. Do you think you're ready for that?"

"I..." I trail off. "I don't really know. Mom and Dad think I am. I don't think they would put me in this position if they didn't think I was. Do you think I'm ready?"

He pauses, trying to find the right words. "I think you're going to make a great Queen. I think you still have some things to learn, but maybe you need to experience this stuff first. That's the thing, I was let loose a little and I figured out that this wasn't right for me."

"So you think if I experienced that stuff, I would be ready to be Queen?" I raise an eyebrow at him. He nods.

"Absolutely." He replies confidently.


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay, I finally got the chance to update! I'm so sorry I didn't get the chance to lately, but I finally figured what I'm going to do. Basically, Will's mom is now Bariel instead of Celeste. I decided to keep April's maid's name Paige. I'm so sorry again for not updating sooner! I have two and-a-half days of school left, so hopefully I can update soon.**

**Athenachild101- so true, so true. #Maxerica4ever.**

**please comment, fave, follow, etc. Thanks for reading**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

The ball will begin in four hours. I have three to get ready. Marlee, Crystal, Sarah, and Madeline are in my room. We had a spa day for two hours and have been preparing for an hour and a half. Mom will be joining us later. She's getting dressed all on her own and then meeting us in my room. Paige and Tara made a dress for me that's dark blue with silver out linings on the top hem and the waistline. The dress flows out ball-gown style. I wear the bracelet Mom and Dad gave me since it matches my dress perfectly and a silver necklace that I got a long time ago from Crystal. I wear a pair of silver, three-inch heels. My makeup is more romantic and it compliments my blue eyes as well as my dress. Marlee adds a bit of sparkles to my eyes to really make them pop. My hair is put up in a style that starts with a French braid, but ends in a bun on the right side of my head near my ear.

Crystal's dress is a deep purple that looks really good with her strawberry-blonde hair. She wears a diamond necklace and matching bracelet and five-inch heels (and I thought my feet would be sore). Her hair is curled into elegant waves. Her makeup is applies a little similar to mine, but it's a little darker and there are less sparkles.

Madeline's dress is a beautiful shade of light pink. Her makeup is applied lightly. It is pink, a little rosy, and it does indeed have sparkles. She's wearing pink flats. Her feet will definitely be the least sore by the time this is all over. Her blonde hair is put up in a bun. I swear, she'd be a better princess than I would based on looks.

Sarah has on a navy dress. Her baby bump still shows, but she still looks really elegant. She's wearing matching flats, a silver necklace Lance gave her, and her makeup is applied similar to Crystals, but with absolutely no sparkles. She looks very grown up.

Marlee's dress is a beautiful yellowish-goldish thing with matching jewelry. She has on a pair if gold one-inch heels and her makeup matches her dress. Her look definitely matches her personality.

Mom walks in wearing a light blue that's almost white gown with silver accessories and silver two-inch heels. She looks very regal, as always.

"Good evening ladies." Mom says as she walks in.

"Good evening." We all reply.

"You all look lovely." She says.

"Thank you. Marlee helped a lot." I answered for us.

"Oh, it was nothing." Marlee says, being modest as usual.

"Oh please, you helped out a ton." Crystal says as she applies more lip gloss.

"Yeah, you're not giving yourself enough credit." Madeline says.

"Well, I did bring the glitter." Marlee says. We all giggle.

"You're an Illèan hero!" I say.

"Well, should we head down to your father's office?" Mom asks.

"Sure." I say.

We head down to my dad's office, trying to avoid the families before the ball. When we reach Dad's office, Marlee, Sarah, and Mom go up to their husbands and sons to fix their collars, ties, and handkerchiefs. One day, I guess I'll do this.

"Good evening, ladies." Dad says, allowing Mom to fix his tie.

"Good evening, Dad." I say.

"Good evening, April." Carter says.

"Good evening, Carter. How are you?" I ask.

"I am doing well, and yourself?" He holds his chin up so Marlee can fix his collar.

"I'm doing well." I respond politely.

"April, Will you get my sewing scissors? Your father has a loose string in his tie." Mom says.

"Of course." I walk over to her dest and pull out the drawer that holds Mom's last-minute fashion fix-up tools.

"Thank you." She says as she takes the scissors and snips the unwanted string.

"Now April, tonight we want you to focus more on the siblings. You did well focusing on the adults yesterday. Now it's time to get to know the siblings." Dad says.

"Okay." I say.

"Now, if one of the younger siblings gets flirty with any if you—" Mom starts.

"Walk away." My siblings and I answer.

"That's my family. Now get ready, we're going in about five minutes." Mom starts to talk to Marlee and I start talking to Madeline.

"So, how's everything going in _your_ life?" I ask her.

"Not great. I just broke up with my boyfriend." She says a little sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I say.

"For what? It's not your fault. It's just, I found him cheating on me." She looks like she's about to cry.

"Oh Maddie," I hug her. "Don't worry, I get the feeling."

"Chris?" She asks. _Oh yeah, I told her. _I think to myself. I just nod. "I'm sorry. Then again, he's a prince. By the way, where's Elle? I meant to ask you this earlier."

I look down at the floor.

"No way!" She exclaims. I look up and nod. "So what'd you do?"

"I didn't know what to do! I gave her some time off and she eventually quit."

"Wow, rough." She says.

"Yeah. But the Selection is happening now, so that's good." I say, trying to boost my confidence.

"That's good. It's hard to get over someone. Luckily you have a bunch of other options."

"Yeah." I say. Why am I sad? This is supposed to be a miracle!

"April, it's time to go." Mom says.

"Okay," I tell her. I turn to Madeline. "Ready?" I ask.

"Yeah!" She replies enthusiastically.

"Let's do this."


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys! I got the chance to update! Yay! Thank you all for reading! Please fave, follow, and comment! I really want to get to 30 reviews soon. Thanks for reading!**

**PercyandTris- thank you so much!**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

"Announcing King Maxon And Queen America Schreave and their children: Prince Lance, Princess April, Prince Nathan, and Princess a Crystal Schreave!"

The families applaud as we enter. I wave in everyone's general direction. I look around to try to decide who to dance with first. I decide to dance with Jason's little brother, Nicholas, first. He's really cute as well as his brother Cody, who I dance with next.

After I dance with most of the younger siblings, I move on to the older ones. I dance with a bunch of the older brothers and then I move on to mingle with some of the girls. Most of them are really nice. Luke, Jason, and Thomas's siblings seem pretty tense, but they loosen up after a while. William's siblings are really gossipy, though. They can be okay, I guess. But for the most part, they're kind of nasty.

I decide I should probably start dancing with some of the Selection guys. I dance with Cooper (who is being ultra-nice, as always), William (who seems more and more pretentious by the minute), Jason (who seems more tense every minute), Luke (who seems more relaxed and nice), and Thomas (who seems a little homesick, like he doesn't want to say goodbye to his siblings).

I take a little break to get a drink. I decide to talk to my siblings, who have also been dancing with the give me an update on all of the siblings. They basically confirm my thoughts on them.

Just as I'm in the middle of a conversation with Crystal, Matthew comes up to me.

"Excuse me, your highness," he says. "I don't believe I've had a chance to dance with you yet."

"Not yet, but you do now." I reply. I take his hand and we move to the dance floor. I put my left hand on his shoulder and keep my right hand locked with his. He pulls me a little closer and we begin to waltz around the room.

"I didn't think I was going to get to dance with you. What did you forget about me?" He says in a mocking-jealousy way.

"Yes, you're so easy to forget that the thought of you just slipped from my mind." I say.

"That's okay, I forget about you all the time." He says with a shrug. I laugh at this.

"So, how're lessons with Sylvia going?" I ask.

All of the guys are going through training with Sylvia on how to be a Prince. They have projects to present next week.

"It's been going okay. It's a lot of hard work, though." He replies.

"Yeah. You'll get better at it." I assure him.

"Will I? This project is giving me a headache! It's hard to put all of the pieces together."

"Trust me, I get it. It's going to get easier. How do you think I did the first time I had an assignment like that? The worst part was it was real and effected the whole country."

He stops dancing for a moment. "Wait, what _was_ your first assignment?" He asks.

"Um," I pause, embarrassed. "Do you remember when Illèa was trying to stop the German Federation troops from moving in?"

"Yeah."

"I had to help sign a treaty promising to pay them three billion dollars. It was like ransom. They were almost bankrupt."

"Wait, wait, wait, you were the one to make a decision like that?"

I nod. I avert my eyes so I won't have to suffer as much embarrassment.

"Wow," he says breathlessly. "I knew you were smart, but I didn't know you could handle that much pressure."

"Really?" I ask. I can't believe he's taking this like he is.

"Really."

"Thank you." I say.

"What do you say we go get some wine?" He suggests.

"Alright." I say. We walk over to the bar and order two glasses of white wine. Thomas is over at the bar with his brother. He looks jealous that I'm with Matt.

"Good evening, Thomas." I say.

"Good evening, Princess April." He replies with a small bow.

"Good evening, Thomas." Matt says, trying to be friendly.

"Good evening, Matthew." Thomas says, the loathing creeping into his voice. Before things get too awkward, Will's mom and Jason's mom start arguing in the middle of the room.

"Bariel, you and Celeste ruined my one chance to be with him!" Jason's mom yells.

"Oh please Anna, like you had a chance with him?" Will's mom screams back.

"You think you did? Everyone knew that he loved America and only America! You really thought you had a chance?"

"I would've had a chance if his father wouldn't have let him marry a Five!"

Everyone pauses. Most of the siblings ask each other what a Five is. I remember what Dad taught me when I was little. There used to be a caste system, but he and Mom got rid of it when they became King and Queen. Dad goes to the middle if the room where the two women are arguing. A few guards follow him.

"Ladies, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Dad bellows. I've never heard him scream so loud. I let out a small gasp at this. The room is dead silent. "Now listen, this behavior was totally uncalled for. I hate to do this to your children, but your sons are officially eliminated. You all will leave tomorrow." He commands.

"But, Maxon..." Will's mom falters.

"Maxon nothing. Get out immediately. The ball is over. Everyone report to their rooms." Dad says harshly. Everyone hurries out. Matt and I are left standing alone by the bar.

Mom walks up to the two of us.

"Matthew, it's time for you to go to your room as well." She says.

"Yes, your majesty." He bows. He turns to me. "Goodnight, Princess April." He gives me a light kiss on the cheek and leaves.

"April, you go on to bed as well." Mom says.

"Yes mom," I say. "Goodnight." I say and I walk out.

I can't believe Dad let two people ruin the ball. What is wing with two women arguing? So what if they were in The Selection? Dad loved Mom and married her for that reason, didn't he?


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! Right now I'm traveling, so I don't always have access to wifi. I'll try to update as much as I can. I'm getting a lot of chapters done, I just can't upload them. It's so frustrating! Thanks for reading! Please follow, fav, and comment!**

**Enjoy!**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

I wake up later than I should've. I guess Mom and Dad let everyone sleep in. I look at the clock next to my bed. It says _10:00_. This is way later than my parents haven't let me sleep this late in a while. They didn't even let me sleep this late after my birthday! I decide to get myself dressed and do my own makeup since Paige and Tara have been given the day off. I put on a light blue day dress with white polka-dots and a pair of white flats. I do my makeup normally and put my hair in a side braid. I head down to Dad's office to see what's going on first. I wouldn't be able to eat if I went down to breakfast without knowing.

When I get to Dad's office, I knock on the door.

"Come in," he says casually. I walk in slowly.

"Hi, Dad." I say.

"Good morning, April. Did you sleep well?" He asks, actually looking up from his work.

"Um, yeah. I slept a little late, though."

"Your mother and I decided it would be best if you rested for a while."

"Oh," I say. "So where _is_ Mom?" I ask.

"She went to the hospital wing with Sarah and Lance to see a sonogram of the baby."

"Oh, and Crystal and Nathan?"

"They're getting ready for brunch with Marlee and Carter's family. You should probably join them. The Selection candidates are going to have breakfast and lunch in their rooms today. William and Jason have already gone home with their families. The rest of the families will leave in two days."

"Okay, thanks." I say as I begin to head out.

I decide to go to the hospital wing to see Lance and Sarah. When I get there, Lance and Sarah are there, but Mom isn't.

"Hey, April." Lance says as he holds Sarah's hand.

"Hi Lance, Sarah." I walk over and give each of them a hug. "Where's Mom?"

"I think she's in the gardens. She's either there it with Marlee." Lance replies.

"Dad told me she'd be with you."

"Nope. She was going to, but she decided to do something else."

"That's odd. You'd think she'd want to see her future grandchildren."

"That's what I thought," Sarah says. "But she is a very busy woman. You never know what she has to do when."

"Good point. So have you seen the twins yet?" I ask.

"We're about to." The doctor walks over. "Good morning, your majesty." She bows slightly.

"Good morning, Doctor Reagan." I reply.

"Now, let's take a look." Doctor Reagan rubs gel on Sarah's stomach, then moves a small device around so we can she the twins.

"Oh my goodness," I say. "They're so precious!"

"Would you like to know the gender of your children?" Doctor Reagan asks.

"What do you think, darling?" Lance asks.

"Why don't we wait another month?" Sarah suggests.

"Are you sure you don't want to find out on delivery day?" He's been asking this every time they've gone in for a checkup.

"Yes, I want to know ahead of time, but I want to be sure my children are going to be nice and healthy." She says.

"Alright, I'll leave this up to you." He says. Lance has always been sure to stay out of Sarah's way. I hope my husband does that. Although, he _is_ going to be future King. Maybe he won't have a choice but to get in my way every now and then.

"Are you going to be joining Marlee's family and us for brunch?" I ask once everything's done.

"Of course! We wouldn't miss it! We'll meet you all in the dining room."

I look in the gardens for Mom. She's not there either. My last hope is to check Marlee's room. Luckily, when I approach her room, I can hear giggling. _Yep, they're in there._ I think. I creep towards the door. Entering might not be the best idea, so I decide to sit down where I am and spy.

"So how is The Selection going for April?" I hear Marlee ask.

"I think it's going well. But there is one slight problem." Mom replies.

"What? Are any of the boys mistreating her?"

"No! Well, I don't think so. Oh, now I'm worried!" Marlee giggles at this.

"America, I'm sure they're treating her well." Marlee assures her.

"I know, I know. And she would've eliminated them if they were."

"Right."

"Well, it's not that I'm concerned about."

"What is it?"

_Yes mom, what is it?_ I think.

Mom sighs. "I'm afraid she has inherited the Singer way of making decisions."

_Wait, what?_

"She's holding back?" Marlee asks. She doesn't sound surprised.

"Yes, it's so clear who she wants to be with, but I'm afraid she's not going to let herself fall for him."

_WHAT? Mom stop talking!_

"Maybe you and Maxon should talk to her." Marlee suggests.

_Great. Thanks, Marlee, for making things so much better!_

"I'm just worried he's going to get aggravated and not let her take her time. Even Maxon got that way."

_Wait, mom was this indecisive? Why?_

"I know that this is your big worry and I understand why, but she's really got the upper hand. You should just let this go."

I get up and storm away, hoping no one heard me. Why should she care about _my_ selection?

I go down to lunch. I feel furious, but I stay calm. I can't let Mom know I saw her and Marlee talking. That would just be too weird of a conversation.


	20. Chapter 20

**I got to update! I'm finally in a place with wifi, so I can update! I'll probably update tomorrow too. I've gotten through a lot of chapters that I can't wait for you all to read! This one is a bit of a filler chapter, but it does have purpose, I swear. Again, thanks for reading! Please keep commenting!**

**MyOwnEndings- No, it doesn't have to do with real life, thankfully. Thanks for the kind review! Btw, have you read TFIOS? I can't wait for the movie!**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

Lunch with everyone goes well. Mom and I don't talk about The Selection at all, thank God. I mean I love my mom, but sometimes talking to her about my personal life gets old.

I set another date with Matthew. I feel like our time at the Halloween ball got cut off. Plus I just want to spend time with him. I want to do something different with him today. I decide to watch a movie with him. I decide it has to be a comedy since it _is_ Matthew.

Matthew meets me in the theatre at four. I have popcorn ready to go and the movie is ready to play. He and I just sit back and enjoy the movie. Everything seems so peaceful. At one point, he reaches over and puts his arm around me. I know, it's corny, but it's still really nice. I put my head on his shoulder and cuddle up to him.

When the movie's over, we decide to take a trademark walk in the gardens. As we pass the roses, I say to Matthew, "Matt, I'm so sorry about last night."

"For what?" He asks. We stop walking.

"Well, we kind of got cut off." I point out.

He chuckles a bit and grabs my hands. "Don't worry about that. You couldn't help it in any way. That's behind us now. You won't have to deal with that anymore."

"I just wish I would've been able to spend more time with you."

"It's okay. I got to spend time with you today. And let's face it, I've spent more time with you than any of the other guys."

"Good point."

"You don't have to worry about me. Heck, you've got a whole country to run. Why should you be worrying about my feelings?"

"Because I really care about you."

"What?"

_Oops_, I think. _Maybe not the best word choice. I just hope he doesn't tell the others I said that._

"I said I really care about you." _No! Don't keep saying it! You have to keep these bottled down to keep the competition going and—oh who am I kidding?_ I want this to be done really soon. Dad said this has to at least go until they present their projects. After that, I can narrow it down to two, they'll both propose on live tv, and I'll accept one.

"I really care about you too." He says pretty quickly. "I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but it just didn't feel right. I don't think I could be more sure now."

_Oh thank god, because that would've been awkward if he hadn't said that._

Well, I guess that's out of the way. Look at me now, Mom!


	21. Chapter 21

**I got to update! I'm so excited for you all to read these next few chapters. I would've updated sooner, but the wifi where I was staying was slow. Also, I'm going on another trip where wifi is even worse in about a week, so updating might not happen during that time. I'll update as much as I can now though. Thanks for reading! Please comment. I really want to get to 30 reviews soon.**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

The projects will be presented today. It's a week after the ball. Frankly, I'm exited to see what they've prepared.

Paige and Tara help me get ready, as usual. They put me in a three-quarter, tulle, yellow dress with capped sleeves and matching flats. My makeup is applied to match my outfit. I swear, I look like pure sunshine. This is one of those days where I have to wear a mom-recommended outfit.

I don't go to my mom's office first. I just head straight to the great room. Gavril is in there reporting on everything, and other cameras of tabloids and different news stations from the other provinces are there as well. I take my seat to the right of Dad and to the left of Crystal.

Dad asks me, "Are you nervous?"

"Not really," I reply. "I mean, today's not really pressure on me so much as the candidates."

"True," he nods.

"Do I have to make an elimination based off of this?" Oh crap, was I supposed to know this?

"Well, you can. You don't have to if you don't want to. I didn't." He replies. It doesn't seem like I was supposed to know that, so I think I'm safe.

Mom stands up and makes an announcement to the candidates that I block out for some reason. My mind seems to be drifting today. Probably not the best time for it to, but whatever. She sits back down and the presentations begin.

Thomas's presentation is about improving conditions of homeless shelters. I am very pleased with his idea, and his solution seems pretty good too. He thinks we should hire a few people per shelter to be janitors. The problem is, he doesn't really know how to enforce this.

Luke's presentation is about building monuments in Angeles to remember some of our country's great leaders. He suggests we get students at local art schools all around Illéa to help make sculptures and students from architecture schools to help with building memorials. It's a good idea, but where would the funding come from?

Cooper's presentation involves helping kids who have working parents by setting up a national daycare program. The idea is parents can drop their kids off during the day (for younger children) or the kids can come there after school and have their parents pick them up. He even has a plan for shuttles to bring them there. This program would also give them a glimpse of jobs they could have when they grow up like being a teacher, engineer, doctor, even some jobs in the arts. Cooper suggests the funding to come from local taxes that citizens pay every year anyway. He suggests that instead of paying for so much science and technology research, we find this instead. It's a good idea, but I don't think too many people would be willing to train for this type of job, nor will some of the public be willing to pay for it.

Matthew's presentation is about making public education mandatory. He thinks all children need to be educated up to at least half of the time they can fully go to at school. His evidence includes a history book from the United States and how they had free public education and how the citizens were more educated and willing to fight for their rights than people who were less educated. This would have to be enforced by the federal government and a bit more taxes would need to be collected, but with the evidence that he gives it seems very doable.

Gavril wraps up the presentations and the cameras stop rolling.

Mom leans over to dad and says, "Well that went better than my presentation."

What is she talking about? What was so bad about her presentation?

"What was so bad about your presentation?" I ask.

"Your grandfather wasn't too happy with my proposal." Mom replies. "I wanted to eliminate the caste system we had and, well, he was not really for that idea."

"Oh," I say.

I decide to get up and congratulate all the candidates on their presentations. They're all very humble about it. I then excuse myself and head upstairs to my room. I have a very difficult decision to make.


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay, I just needed to update this chapter. I couldn't wait any longer 'cause I'm so excited to share this chapter! This is one of those chapters where it's like, "Okay, I'm sick of stalling. This chapter needs to happen now." You've probably been expecting this... Or have you? Thanks for reading! Please review! Hope you enjoy!**

***Side note: I use waaaaaay too many exclamation points in my author's notes, don't I?**

**-ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

I'm just going to get it over with. I'm eliminating down to two candidates. Cooper and Matthew will stay, and the others will go. I'm tired of the Selection, I just want to be married. It's two weeks after the projects, and I couldn't be more sure of myself. It just needs to happen. We already had The Convicting (which was pretty rough), and the projects were presented. There's nothing left.

I break the news to Thomas and Luke. They don't seem disappointed. In fact, they seem as if they knew this was coming. This makes me feel pretty relieved. Now I don't have guilt about letting them go, or leading them on about anything. Well, not much anyway.

I wear a dress that looks much like a ball gown. It's deep blue with silver accents. I wear matching flats. My makeup is done to match. I put on my locket and bracelet my parents gave me. I also wear one of my mom's old tiaras. It's silver with diamonds. Luckily it's only about three or four inches high, so it's not that heavy.

After a while, Tara asks me, "Are you nervous?"

"Nervous? Not really. More exited than nervous." I reply. Paige and Tara smile at this. They've seemed to have loosened up over the past few weeks, thank God. It's good to have close friends again.

I go downstairs to my mom's office for prep, as usual. She gives me one last look and approves. Then she brings me in for a tight hug.

"I love you so much, April. Whomever you choose, I'll always love you." She says.

"I know mom. I'll always love you too." I say.

When she lets go, Dad embraces me. "I'm so proud of you, April. I know you're a young woman, but you'll always be my little girl." He says.

I start to tear up. Tears threaten to spill down my cheeks, but I won't let them. "Dad, you know I'll always be your little girl." A tear falls down my cheek and onto his suit coat. When Dad lets go, I dab at my eyes to gain back some professionalism.

"Come on, dear. I want to meet my new son." Dad offers his arm and I take it.

We enter the great room and I sit at a table with Matthew and Cooper. I look around the room. There are so many different cameras and guests. Marlee's family is sitting towards the front as well as some of the former candidates. Matthew's and Cooper's family are here as well. Both families expecting me to pick their son. I look over at Mom and Dad who are holding hands. They seem happy, but depressed as well. They seem so sad to give up their little girl. Just the thought of this makes me want to cry, so I try to block that thought out.

Mom and Dad make an announcement that everything is about to begin and they thank everyone for coming. Gavril gives a brief summary of what has happened over the last few months. He mainly focuses on what has gone on with Cooper and I and Matthew and I. I can't believe how much I've grown as a person since this all began.

The time comes for the proposals to actually take place. Cooper turns to me, takes my hands, and recites his proposal. "April, I fell in love with the face I saw on TV. You are an extraordinary princess and an amazing person. I just know that I'm always happy when I'm with you. My time in the Selection has been the best time of my life. And I want to continue that life with you." He let's go and I turn to Matthew. He takes my hands.

"April, you are the most beautiful, creative, kind, and overall wonderful woman I've ever met. Once I met you, I knew I wanted to be with you. I want to dedicate myself to you. You're the only one I want to be with. I can't offer much, but I promise you I'll be faithful and loving."

Both get up from their seats and get down on one knee.

"April Schreave, will you marry me?" They say in unison.

I turn to Cooper. "Cooper, it has been wonderful getting to know you over the past few months. I wouldn't trade any moment we spent together for the world." I pause for a moment. "But I don't think we're meant to be." The audience gasps. "I'm so sorry, but I just don't think I'm the girl for you." He nods, understanding my decision.

I turn to Matthew. "Matthew, from the moment I met you, I knew you were an amazing person. You're funny, kind, smart, and generous. I've loved getting to spend time with you. And I would love to have those moments with you all of the time. I can't say yes enough times. Yes, I will marry you."

Matthew gets up and embraces me tightly. He pulls away slightly so he can kiss me. The kiss is deep and lasts for a while. I just want everything to stay like this for the time being. Is that too much to ask?


	23. Chapter 23

**Okay, I've decided to update today because I'm trying to get as many updates as I can before I go on my week-long trip in which I don't have wifi. I will be continuing this story for quite a while. We haven't even gotten to my plot twist yet (yes, there will be a plot twist;). Thank you all so much for your reviews! Keep sending them in!**

**Guest- Don't worry, I'll be continuing this for a while. Thank you so much for your kind review!**

**theoneforever- thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it!**

**MyOwnEndings- Yeah, I made things pretty obvious. However, you all probably don't know what's going to happen next. *Maniacal laugh**

**Athenachild101- I'm not sure if I'll kill someone off... Time will tell. Thanks for the suggestion!**

**Thanks for reading! Enjoy! -ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

Matthew and I have been making wedding plans all day. He and I have been very compatible on this though. We each agreed Crystal would be my maid of honor and Daniel would be his best man. Sarah would be in charge of my bachelorette party and keeping Mom out of my way on the big day. The only real dilemma we had was the wedding colors.

"How about violet and ivory?" I ask.

"What the hell is _ivory_?" He asks. I have swatches in front of us to show him which colors are which. I point to one and say, "It's basically just a fancy word for off-white." This whole process has been quite entertaining.

"I like it. We just need a different color than violet." He responds.

"Why don't you like violet?" I say as I hold it up.

"I just think we should have brighter colors than that at our wedding."

"You mean pastel colors?"

"Again, what the hell are pastel colors?" I laugh at this. "What? What's so funny about my ignorance?" He shrugs as he says this.

I finally calm myself down enough to show him what I mean. "These ones." I point.

"Maybe. What about this color here?" He holds up a swatch.

"Teal and ivory. I like it. Let's go with that." I nod in approval.

"Okay, but I'm gonna have to ask you what the hell is teal?" I laugh again.

Mom walks in with a tray of tea. "I thought you two were supposed to be working, not goofing off." She scolds.

"We are, Mom." I say.

"In fact, we've just chosen our wedding colors!" Matthew says.

"Oh? And what did you choose?" She asks as she sets the tray down.

"These." He holds them up.

"Teal and ivory. Very nice." She approves.

"Okay, am I the only one around here that doesn't know fancy names for shades of colors?" Matthew says in frustration. Mom and I laugh.

"Don't worry, Matthew. Maxon had the exact same issue when we got married." Mom assures him.

"I am not surprised at all to hear _this_." I say.

"Maxon! Will you please come in here?" Mom calls to the other room.

Dad walks in. "Yes?" He says.

"Honey, do you remember our wedding colors?" Mom asks.

"Oh geez, this again?" Dad puts his face in his hands. "Um, dark blue and off-white?" He asks tentatively.

"Navy and champagne, but close enough." Mom says.

"Matthew, when in doubt just point to the color you're talking about." Dad says. We all laugh at this.

"Hey, why don't we have tea in the gardens?" I suggest.

"You and Matthew can go ahead, your father and I will stay here." Mom says.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yes, go ahead, sweetheart." Dad says.

Matthew turns to me. "I'll get the tray." He says.

"Okay, let's go." I reply.

Matthew and I set our tray down on a bench and sip our tea together. After we're done, he puts his arm around me and we sit there.

"What's next on the planning list?" He asks.

"Flowers." I say tiredly.

"Well why don't we use some of the flowers from the gardens so we don't have to pay for unnecessary shipping?"

"Why don't we think about that later? I just want some time to relax."

"Sounds good to me." He says.

And we just sit there and relax.


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey everyone! I updated on time! I'm gonna keep this short cause I don't really have anything to say at the present time.**

**theoneforever- Yeah, my dad has trouble with that. I'll ask him, "Dad, where's my mint-colored top?" And he'll be like, "The green thing?" Oh colors. You are so very entertaining sometimes.**

**Thanks for reading! -ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

Today I'm doing a wedding dress fitting/designing thing. I'm also designing my bridesmaids dresses.

"How about this one?" Mom hold up a design.

"Mom, I said I want sleeveless." I reply.

"Right, right, my mistake." She says.

"April, what type of dress do you want for the bridesmaids?" Crystal asks.

"Teal, silk, goes to the ground." I reply.

"Straps?"

"One centimeter. Oh, and an ivory empire waist that ties in the back."

"Honey, what about this one?" Mom holds up a design with thin straps, floral designs, and a long train. It looks a little like a ball gown.

"I love it! Crystal, what do you think?" I ask.

She looks stunned that I asked for her opinion on a dress that I'm going to wear. "Oh! I really like it. It looks like something you'd wear."

"Why don't we go with this one?" I suggest.

"Sounds good!" Mom says. She takes the design to a maid and tells her this is the one I want.

"April, have you and Matthew decided where to go on your honeymoon?" Mom asks.

I sigh, "We're working on it. I want to go to the mountains, but Matthew is leaning more towards the beach."

"You could always do both." Crystal says.

"That's not a bad idea." Mom says.

"But do you really want us to be gone that long?" I ask.

"Honey, your father and I didn't have a great honeymoon. Your grandmother and grandfather had just passed away and your father was a new King. You have a better opportunity than we did. Take it, and enjoy it while you can."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you worried about something? If it's security, you know we'll send plenty of guards with you."

"No, it's just... I don't know. I'm a little nervous about getting ready to be Queen." I shrug and don't make eye contact with mom, a little embarrassed about this.

"Honey, you'll have plenty of time to prepare for that. Just enjoy some time with Matthew."

"Alright, I'll go tell Matthew." I say, and I walk out to tell him.

Matthew and I worked out the details and we'll be going to the beach first, then to the mountains. We're going to Panama then Calgary. Our packing will be interesting. On one hand, we need shorts, short-sleeved shirts, sandals, and bathing suits on one hand; and on the other hand we need jeans, long-sleeved shirts, and jackets on the other hand. Either way, I'm exited to spend this time with Matthew.

Matthew is officially moved in to the Prince's suite. It used to be my Dad's room, then it was Lance's room, now it's his. I love having him so close. He's been coming in my room when I'm practicing piano or when I'm reading. I didn't know he was an artist, but he's started doing sketches of me. He won't show them to me, telling me that it's going to be his wedding present to me. Now I know my wedding present to him better be damn good.

I'm so glad everything seems to be falling into place.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys! I would've updated last night but the wifi where I was staying was horrible. I'll try to update as much as I can up to the eighth. I don't think I'll have wifi after that.**

**MyOwnEndings- You'll find out in a few chapters... Mwahaha!**

**Thanks for reading! Enjoy! -ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

The wedding's in a week. We're having all the parties now since all of the guests are getting here. Marlee has been so helpful with all of the preparations. Sarah's been doing an excellent job of keeping Mom out of my way. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother, but sometimes she just isn't helpful during high pressure situations.

"No, I only had one bridesmaid." Mom says to one of my little cousins, Lacey. We've been entertaining for hours now while all of the parents settle in.

"Was my mommy in your wedding?" Lacey asks.

"No, I only had one bridesmaid and that was Marlee."

"Wait, Aunt May wasn't in your wedding?" My older cousin, Astra, asks.

"No. You should know, you were there!" Mom fake-scolds.

Astra laughs. "I was only a few months old!"

"Excuses, excuses." Mom says. She winks at Astra.

"Tag! You're it!" My little cousin, Zachary, says to Matthew.

Matthew has been playing with the boys all day and not has his hands on his knees and is panting like crazy. "I think I need a break." He manages.

"Tag! You're it!" Zachary says to Nathan, whose in the same shape as Matthew.

"Alright, new game. Rock, Paper, Scissors... That is if I can lift my hand up." Nathan says.

"You know what," I take charge. "You boys have been running around all day, and I'll bet the girls are tired too. Why don't we go to the gardens for tea, then go swimming in the palace's pool?"

All the kids buzz in excitement.

"To the gardens!" Astra points to the door.

Matthew puts his arm around me. "Thanks." He pants.

"No problem. You look like you're about to have a heart attack." I say.

"Yeah, I need energy. Can I have coffee instead of tea?"

"Of course."

"But can there be about twenty shots of espresso in it?"

I giggle. "Definitely."

After tea, we all change and go to the indoor pool. All of the little kids play in the shallow part, while all of the teenagers take the deep end, and all of the grown ups either go to the hot tub or lounge beside the pool. I decide to just lounge next to Madeline and Astra. Matthew, Nathan, and my cousin Garret are messing around in the pool. Crystal and my cousins Kate, Justine, and Lily are in the deep end as well.

"Only a week left," Astra says. "Then you'll be a married woman."

"I know," I say with a smile. "I just want it to be official already. I want the world to know that I love him."

"That's how I felt when I married Jonathan." Astra says.

Astra's been married for three years now. She's a year older than Lance. She hasn't had any kids yet, but she did have one miscarriage about a year ago. She has a pretty good attitude about having kids. She said that if it's meant to be, it'll happen. If it's not meant to happen, she can always adopt. I admire her for that. If it was me, I'd be pretty mad at the world.

"I'm so glad you found the one." Astra says.

"Me too. I'm still searching." Madeline says.

"Trust me, you'll find the one for you." I assure her.

"I hope so." She says.

"You will. Don't worry. After I broke up with Tyler, I didn't think I'd ever find anyone as good as him. But I found someone just as good if not better than him." Astra says.

"How's Crystal doing in the dating department?" Madeline asks.

"Ugh," I sigh and roll my eyes. "She's dating basically anyone who asks."

"Really?" Astra says. "She strikes me as the kind of girl who wouldn't be that way."

"Nope, she is." I say.

"Who's she dating now?" Madeline asks.

"I don't think she's dating anyone right now. But then again, it's really hard to keep up."

"There's a guy I know that I think would be really interested in dating her." Astra says.

"Would she be interested in dating him?" I ask.

"I think she would. He's funny, smart, and handsome."

"That's _my_ type of guy." Madeline says. We all laugh.

Matthew, Nathan, and Garret walk up to us.

"Ladies, may we enlist you for your help?" Matthew asks.

"What is it?" I ask.

"We need to look for something near the pool. We think it fell in." Garret says.

"What fell in?" Madeline asks.

"Someone left a bracelet by the pool, and we think we may have knocked it in." Nathan says.

"Okay," I say as I get up. I head to where they were earlier. "Where do you think it fell?"

"About here." Matthew says.

"Where did you—" I can't even finish before he pushes me in. When I surface, all of the guys are laughing.

"Very funny." I say.

"What's going on?" Astra asks sternly.

"Nothing, I just tried to be helpful and look for the bracelet." I say.

"Well where is it?" She asks, looking in the pool.

"About right there." Nathan says as he pushes her in as well. She shrieks as she hits the water.

The guys all laugh. I try to suppress a smile.

"Ha ha, so funny." She says as she surfaces.

"Alright, Jake," Matthew says to my cousin. "You owe me ten dollars exactly."

"You were betting on if you could get us in the pool?" I say.

"Well yeah." Matthew says.

I splash him. "You jerk."

"Here, I'll help you out." He says, reaching out his hands to pull me out. I grab his hands, push my feet off the wall, and pull him in.

"Hey! I was trying to be nice!" He says.

"I wasn't!" I say. Astra, Nathan, Garret, and I all laugh at this.

It's nice to be getting older, but sometimes it's fun to be a kid.

**Btw, who's excited for TFIOS? I AM!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I went to see _The Fault in our Stars_ yesterday and it was freaking AMAZING! Anyway, I'm out of things to say.**

**prnamber3909- Thank you! I'm glad you like it!**

**magicalnerd123- I know! It's so awesome!**

**Thanks for reading! Enjoy! -ReadLikeYouMeanIt**

Today is the day of my bridal shower/bachelorette party. I don't want to have a stripper or anything. I told Crystal I just want a day to relax and spend time with my friends and loved ones. A few of the Italians are here for the wedding, so we get to spend time with them. I'm very excited that they're here. Now it will be a real party. Of course, all of my cousins over the age of fourteen will be here. A few of our friends from the German Federation will be here as well. I think we'll just have a reception in the grea hall. We're going to do do stupid stuff like play games like charades and stuff like that.

Right now, we're having a contest to see who can make the best toilet-paper bridal dress. Our models are Crystal, Astra, Princess Isabella of Italy, and Zoë: Duchess of Hatzenbüler, German Federation. These girls are all on different teams. We enlisted the help of a few of the maids for the construction, however most of the teams seem to be doing pretty well on their own.

"All right ladies! Time's up!" Mom announces. "Teams, show your designs!

"Team A: what is your design?" I ask.

The girls step aside to reveal Zoë in a dress that's basically wrapped around her whole body.

"We went for the mummy look." My cousin Amelia says. Mom and I laugh at this.

"Very nice. Team B: what is your design?" I ask.

The girls step aside to reveal Isabella in an Ancient-Greek/Roman-looking dress.

"We decided to go for the classic ancient look." One of the German Federation girls, Anne, says.

"Ooh, unique. Team C: what is your look?" I ask.

Astra steps up in an intricate floral dress that only goes to her knees.

"We didn't quite get to finish." My cousin Lily says.

"That's alright. Very nice. And last, but not least, Team D: what is your design?"

Crystal steps forward wearing a beautiful mermaid-style dress with thin straps draped over her shoulders.

"We went for a more modern look." One of the Italian girls, Natalie, says.

"Beautiful. Ladies, these were all wonderful designs, but I think I'm going to have to declare Team D the winners!" I announce.

Team D cheers and the other ladies clap for them.

We spend the next two hours playing games and then move on to eating. I sit on one of the sofas surrounded by all of the married women, snacking on cheese and crackers and sipping tea while they talk.

"Trust me dear," the Queen of Italy says. "You'll do fine while you rule. You'll have a husband to assist you."

"That's right," Mom pipes up. "How else would anything in this world get done?"

Everyone laughs.

"But seriously April," Astra says. "You'll do just fine."

"Thank you." I say. "Thank you all, really. How could I ever be worried when you all are here to support me?"

Everyone takes in the compliment.

"Alright, it's time for the bride's presents!" Mom announces.

Everyone cheers and a few of the maids bring the gifts over.

The shower/party is over. I got a lot of lingerie. This wasn't from any of the married women. Everyone had a pretty good time. I decide to ask Matthew how his bachelor party went, since his was today as well. _He's probably not done._ I think. I decide to head to the gardens instead, just to relax. The sun is setting, and everything looks gorgeous. Right as I reach the doors, I hear shouts coming from the dining room, where they are having the bachelor party.

"ENOUGH!" I hear Matthew's voice booming down the hallway, overlapping the other shouts.

"EVERYONE OUT!" I hear Matthew's voice again.

I hide behind the corner, peeking over to see what's happening. A bunch of my cousins, Nathan, and most of Matthew's relatives exit. I notice that Daniel and Matthew haven't left yet. After everyone has cleared the hallway, I creep up to the door to listen to what's happening.

"Daniel, I specifically said no strippers. Then, you have _this_ come out of the closet?" Matthew says.

"Hey, Candi is a very honorable person. She has a bachelor's degree." Daniel says.

"Actually, it's a bachelor party degree." A high-pitched, annoying voice says.

"Daniel, this is against the law! You can't force this on me when I'm about to marry the Princess of Illéa!"

"Sorry, but I just thought you'd like to have fun before you got married!"

"Listen, I'm marrying the love of my life. There's no way I'm second-guessing it. So don't even try to make me."

"Am I going to get paid?" The annoying voice says.

"Here's a fifty, get out." Matthew says. I hear footsteps coming, so I bolt to the gardens.

_He loves me. He really loves me._ I think as I reach the roses. I sit down in a bench thinking this over and over again. I'm there for about three minutes before I hear footsteps. I look up and see Daniel.

"Hi, Daniel." I say.

"April," he starts. "You better love my brother the way he loves you, because he is never going to break your heart. Just do me a favor and never break his."

"Daniel," I pause. "I would never want to do anything to hurt him."

I know I wouldn't. Why would I have any reason to?


End file.
